The Best Decision I Ever Made
Reading several of the other blogger’s posts (their posts can be found here and here) about why they chose Vanderbilt caused me to reflect upon my own decision to come to school here.
I’ll be honest, I originally never intended on applying to Vanderbilt. My sister went here and I wanted to forge my own path. She only had good things to say about Vandy, however, and I decided I would check it out. In late September of my senior year of high school, I came down to visit.
I still remember my campus tour. It was a beautiful 80 degree day, sun streaming through the trees onto the lush lawns (a welcome change from the weather in Chicago). As I walked the winding paths around campus and listened to our tour guide describe campus life, I realized that Vandy really had everything I was looking for: top notch academics, a plethora of extra-curricular activities, and a great location in the heart of Nashville. I was extremely impressed with the focus on becoming a balanced, well-rounded individual.
Learning about the Commons experience further peaked my excitement. I had visited many schools, but none had a first year experience quite like this. Finally, I sat in on a class in the Human and Organizational Development program and I was sold. The Professor took a genuine interest in my future plans (I wrote her an email later thanking her for the experience and asking one question, and she responded with a page and a half response about what HOD had to offer!). Furthermore, the students in the class were so engaged and genuinely interested in learning. Throughout the day, I could truly feel the sense of community around campus and knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.
I flew home the following day and immediately filled out the early decision application. The rest, as they say, is history. I am currently in disbelief that I am almost done with my junior year, but I can confidently say choosing Vanderbilt was the best decision I have ever made.
