Newest Commodore on the Block
I am proud to announce my personal favorite member of the Class of 2017- my younger sister, Brittany!! My sister applied to Vanderbilt Early Decision and got in! I am so proud of her and I don’t think that I have ever been happier. Here is the crazy story of how she found out that she was accepted.
On Tuesday night, I finished my last final exam and surfed the web while I packed and did my laundry. I stumbled upon a post on the Vanderbilt admissions blog about the mailing of ED I letters. I vowed that I would not share the information with my family because I did not want to worry my sister- or worse, my mom, who had been on pins and needles since my sister submitted her application in late September.
Needless to say, I could not contain my excitement and when I got home on Wednesday morning, I spilled the beans to my mom. We swore, though, not to tell my sister. Later that night, my sister came to us in tears. One of my best friends from school posted a congratulatory Facebook status about one of his cousins in the Nashville area. Brittany was convinced that she didn’t get in, so we showed her the admissions blog post and we calmed her nerves for the moment.
On Thursday morning, I couldn’t sleep. My sister went to school, so my mom and I were left alone to worry and wait. My mom called the mailman who told us that he would be at our house within the hour. He called back about ten minutes later to say that the letter had not yet arrived. We would have to wait another day.
Friday morning finally arrived. My mom and I woke up bright and early to find the mailman. We felt bad calling him again so we decided to hop in the car. We searched the neighborhood for about half an hour with no luck. Finally, the mailman called with bad news. He had a small envelope from Vanderbilt. We were prepared though. All decisions were mailed in small envelopes so there was still hope. Eventually, after a long morning of waiting and watching, we saw the mailman drive by. My mom and I hopped back into the car, caught up with him, got the letter and headed to my sister’s school.
On the way to school, we called my dad so he wouldn’t miss out on anything. My mom brought a flashlight in the car, in hopes of being able to see through the envelope. Vanderbilt Admissions is quite sneaky. They folded the letter perfectly under “Dear Brittany.” When we were almost at the school, I sent my sister a text message telling her to meet me at the front gate. My mom pulled into school and I jumped out of the car and ran to meet my sister.
After days of waiting, and the most painful car ride of my life, my sister had the envelope. She didn’t want to open the envelope in front of me- in retrospect, I was probably a little bit annoying and overeager. As she meticulously opened it, I saw the familiar tuition statement that I receive each semester and I knew that SHE DID IT. I grabbed the letter and ran out to my mom in the car. My sister followed and the three of us hugged and cried like we won the lottery.
Honestly though, I think we did win the lottery. I cannot wait to have my sister join me at the place that has changed my life. She will be a great addition to the Class of 2017 and I know that she will take advantage of everything that our university has to offer. I am so proud of her.
PS: I would like to thank Ben Gatlin and the entire Vanderbilt Office of Undergraduate Admissions for making Brittany’s (and my) dream come true!
PPS: If you are a member of the Class of 2017, feel free to get in touch with Brittany. (facebook: Brittany Jenna, instagram: brittanygraff, twitter: brittaaanyg). She is an HOD major. She likes dogs, pasta, yoga and Vandy!