“All I can do is go through senior year committed to the college I currently plan to attend, and a small part of me just hopes that I don’t get off of my waitlists so I don’t need to make any decisions. I’ve made enough decisions this year.” These were the last two lines of the article published on May 5, where I explained my frustration with being placed on seven waitlists, including my top choices, Duke and Brown. A mere three days later, I got off the Brown waitlist.
If you told my freshman year self I would be debating between a full ride to UMD and an Ivy League, specifically my dream school, I would’ve called you utterly insane. But I predicted one thing right in my last article: this was the most difficult decision I had to make so far in my 17 years of life. All of the questions that I had expected ran through my mind. “Would I uproot my entire college situation like that? Would I turn down a full scholarship to my state school to pay six figures at a prestigious university?”
After overhearing people talk about how they think I made the wrong decision (another piece of advice: someone is always listening, so be careful what you say out loud), I thought I should explain myself. At the end of the day, UMD would have been the practical and, honestly, easier choice. It’s close to home. Some of my best friends are going there. My family friend, whom I grew up with, will be a senior there next year. I had a roommate set. I had already made new friends. And obviously, it was 100% free. Who in their right mind would turn that down?
However, when I went to visit Brown, I realized it was the place for me. To begin, I loved the city of Providence. I love the idea of living in that quaint town, but also having Boston a $10 round-trip on the train away if I’m craving a city adventure. And of course, the campus was absolutely beautiful. From the never-ending greenery, to the tin foil men statues, to the random turkey wandering around, I felt so at peace, yet at the same time, in awe every step I took.
In addition, it felt as though the school’s program was made for me. The highlight of Brown, for many, is its Open Curriculum, where students do not take gen-eds and are rather encouraged to explore whatever they are interested in. As someone on the pre-med track who’s also deeply passionate about the humanities, from international affairs to journalism, I knew Brown would be the ideal environment to explore these interdisciplinary fields.
What made the difference was, simply put, the vibes. Brown has always been known as the Happy Ivy, one of my favorite parts about the school. Something I’ve loved about my high school years is that I’ve learned that academic success doesn’t have to come at the expense of socializing and being happy. Seeing how the students I interacted with when visiting Brown were not only so passionate and driven toward achieving their goals, but also supportive, collaborative and just genuinely nice people, made the school feel like home.
Even though everything pointed to Brown, there was obviously the financial aspect. I needed to find a way to justify spending six figures instead of paying nothing. Even after discussing it with my parents and doing my own research, it was a piece of advice from my friend that brought me clarity. After asking him if I would be dumb to turn down a full ride, he said, “Dr. Diya Khetan will make that back, but she wouldn’t make back her youth and experiences.”
At the end of the day, college, for me, is about growth. It’s about making mistakes, learning new things about the world and myself. Sometimes, the impractical decision is the best one. Maybe I’ll regret the money I spent in the future, but right now, I’d regret it wholeheartedly if I didn’t go to Brown. So, after a week of contemplation, I officially accepted a spot at Brown University on May 15.
The most valuable piece of advice I got during this entire process was to go with my gut. So, to whoever is reading this, trust your instincts. Take advice from those you respect and your loved ones. Listen to what they have to say (and I mean actually listen), but when it comes time to make your decision, close your eyes and just do it. Somebody is always going to disagree with the decision you make, so if you try to please everyone, you’ll never make a decision. The only person you need to make happy is yourself.
To juniors about to enter the college application process and underclassmen worried about getting into college, I simply have one piece of cliche advice: be unapologetically yourself, whether that’s in your classes, your extracurriculars, your social life or your application. One of the three words I used to describe myself in a Brown supplemental essay was smiley because I honestly felt that smiling was a big part of my personality. There’s no need to change who you are or play the “game” that is the college admissions process. You’ll end up where you’re meant to be, even if it’s not by the May 1 deadline.
