And Why I’m Far Above Cayuga’s Waters
As I was experiencing “The College Process,” my Mom had only one request. “Nikki, I need a cozy new hoodie sweatshirt. When you decide on what college you are going to, I want a sweatshirt for Mother’s Day.”
The summer before my senior year, my family was on vacation in New England. On the way home, we planned to stop at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, essentially my brother’s Heaven on Earth. I guess my parents – always wanting to keep things fair – suggested we take some time out of our travels to look at Cornell.
Today I thank my parents infinitely for scheduling this stop off the highway. However, as the moody, cranky “I’ve already been on fifteen college tours and I just spent ten hours reading about the Great Bambino” seventeen year old I was, Cornell wasn’t exactly looking like my saving grace.
By the time we reached Cornell, I was pretty much Oscar the Grouch in human form. I pouted through an information session (I would recommend doing this, minus the pouting) and then went on a tour (which is also highly recommended). I wore a frown during the entire tour (bad move) but asked some decent questions (my only good move of the day). After the tour, my parents were incredibly upbeat- “Nik, wasn’t that great?” “It is so beautiful.” Their enthusiasm just made me more irritable, and I answered with a typical teenage “What-evvver” (very, very bad move – this word will perhaps singly be the downfall of my generation).
As the fall progressed, my parents kept mentioning Cornell. Basically, I kept ignoring them. Cornell was the last application I planed on completing, so it was in the back of my mind. I think everyone does a mental calculation of if they will or won’t get into a school, and I never really saw myself gaining acceptance or attending Cornell. Finally, a day or two before the application was due (another move I would not recommend!) I decided to apply.
By April 1st, I was pretty set on attending another school. I was just waiting to hear from Cornell, but I thought that whether I was accepted or denied, I wouldn’t change my mind. That night, along with thousands of others, my family tried to log onto the website announcing admissions decisions. Needless to say, the system was a little slow with some tens of thousands of prospectives and their families huddling over the computers. However, my Mom dutifully sat with the clunking old Gateway late into the night (long after I told her to stop) attempting to reload the page. “Nikki, I know you’re going to get in,” my Mom assured me. “All the numbers and letters (as in the web address) say ‘=y’ (as in “yes”) at the end!” And as usual, my Mom was right.
Now, I had a tough decision. I decided to attend Cornell Days, a time when all accepted students are invited to campus. This was an excellent experience for me as I was reintroduced to the campus from a more student perspective and able to stay overnight in the dorms. I was worried that Cornell students would be a lot of nerds who studied all the time. I found Cornell students to be hard workers and very intelligent, but also interesting people who knew how to kick back and have a good time. This balance of “work and play” was important to me.
Cornell Days encouraged me to think more seriously about attending Cornell. Yet, I still had reservations. Cornell was several hours from home and I only had a few acquaintances at the university. I talked to my family, friends, teachers, and counselors to help make my decision.
I guess Cornell seemed like a risk to me – there was a lot of unknown. However, I found at the end of the day it is most important to look beyond the rankings and the opinions of other people and listen to your heart. I know this might sound sappy, but it’s true. You’re the one who will live, learn, eat, study, party, and (maybe) sleep at a school. You want to pick the one which will provide you with the most possibilities. I think the word “opportunity” best describes why I selected to attend Cornell and why I have been such a happy and successful member of its community.
This story doesn’t really end with a cliffhanger, but I think it is an important one to tell. Don’t let a bad day or an underestimation of yourself hold you back from taking a chance and putting yourself out there. You never know what might happen.
As you may have guessed, my Mom opened a box on Mother’s Day and was delighted to find a soft, new Cornell sweatshirt. Personally, I don’t think any other would fit her better.