My college admission experience was very exciting! Although applying to colleges, completing financial aid and scholarship forms, and sending transcripts and scores became overwhelming — it was so worth it in the end.
The first school I was really interested in was Auburn University in Alabama. At the time I was researching colleges, they had a deer tagging trial going on which I thought was fascinating and it went along with my interests in veterinary medicine and environmental science. Then I found out that I qualified for the Bright Futures Scholarship which awards from 75 to 100 percent of the cost of tuition and fees at qualifying in-state schools. So, it became extremely important for me to stay in Florida for college. I decided to apply to the University of Florida, University of South Florida, University of Central Florida, and Florida State because each one had good programs in my major, environmental science.
I was really excited about the University of Florida and I was sure that it was going to be my school. I really loved the academic programs there, and I liked the fact that they had a horseback riding team.
Plus, University of Florida is considered by many to be the top-ranked school in the state. When people think of UF, they think of super smart kids. I liked the idea of attending a school that was so well-respected, and I had friends attending UF who raved about it.
However, when I visited the campus I just didn’t connect with it like I expected to. The campus felt like a concrete jungle and very city-like. The students I saw looked pretty stressed and unhappy. In a college, I was looking for a beautiful, green campus and a homier feel.
When I visited Florida State, I felt a completely different vibe. At FSU there was green space and beautiful brick walking paths, and I didn’t feel like I was in a big busy city with a ton of cars. I watched students studying on the quad, and everyone looked happy to be there.
For some reason, though, I was still mentally attached to the University of Florida. I really didn’t make my decision until much later, after I had been admitted to all four universities. That was when I felt I had to look closer and consider all the factors. I am a really indecisive person so picking the college I will attend for the next four years was extremely difficult.
I made pros and cons lists for each college. I felt they were fairly equal regarding my major, academic offerings, and price. My factors came down to location, community, and student life. I also made a note about how the campuses looked and what there was to do around campus.
I realized how important it was to me to enjoy my location, and I could tell right away that Florida State was right for me, just by the feeling of the campus. I had been on team UF for so long, but I had fallen in love with a different college! It was hard to admit at first, since University of Florida and Florida State are such rivals. But at the end of the day, I knew I had to pick the college where I thought I would be happiest, not necessarily the college everyone else likes better or speaks so highly of.
Applying to college during my first semester of senior year was hard, especially because I was busy with athletic training for my football team and helping with pre-season workouts after school. I would leave for school at 7 a.m. and not come home until 8 p.m.
I tried to work on the Common Application and the FAFSA a little bit each day, so I wouldn’t fall behind. There were a few times when I was so busy I couldn’t think straight, especially when an application asked for something I wasn’t sure how to answer. Instead of leaving and coming back to the question — or asking my parents or my college advisor or looking on my student portal – I would just sit there and get worked up, which wasn’t helpful.
Once I realized how easy it was to find and ask for college admissions help, things became easier. I was surprised how easy it was to communicate with college admissions officers. All I had to do was send an email to the right department (admissions or financial aid) and a representative responded very quickly.
I’m paying for school through savings and Florida’s Bright Futures scholarship. I’m extremely lucky to have received the Bright Futures scholarship because without it, I don’t know what I would have done. I also have some savings from graduation presents from friends and family.
Right now, I have about 75 percent of my college costs paid for. I am set up pretty well financially because I have completed almost two years of college through a free dual enrollment program at my high school, which allowed me to take college courses for credit during high school. I plan to work during my summers to help pay for college. I don’t believe I will have to worry about financial aid until graduate school.
On CollegeData, I was able to read about different people and their college process, use helpful calculators, look for scholarships with Scholarship Finder, and find resources on financial aid.