College

As a junior at Texas Christian University, it’s hard to imagine that I even considered going to any other college. I ADORE TCU and everything about the school: the color purple, school spirit, the beautiful campus, chocolate fountains on Sundays, etc. But looking back 3 years ago, when I was in high school, TCU wasn’t even on my radar.

In high school, I didn’t even start looking for colleges until the end of summer before senior year. I only had one requirement: whatever college I ended up at had to be in Texas, and preferably a private school. With that being said, my choices narrowed down to Rice, Baylor, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, Abilene Christian University, and Trinity University.

My first college visit was to SMU, a school located in Dallas and about 40 minutes from my house. My dad is an alumnus there, so applying to the school was a must. As soon as I stepped on the campus, I knew the school was completely NOT for me; the brick buildings felt super uninviting, the students didn’t smile, and it just didn’t feel right. At that moment I knew I would not be at SMU, despite what my dad thought!

I did an overnight visit to Texas A&M and, honestly, the school freaked me out! I mean, when is it ever okay to great people on a regular basis by saying howdy? NEVER (at least to me haha)! A&M was quite the experience to say the least; it was my first visit to a university with a huge campus and I do have something positive to say about it—everyone has TONS of school spirit!

I visited Baylor University in Waco at the start of my senior year in high school and fell in love. The campus was gorgeous and I got the feeling that everyone talks about—I felt like this would be my new home. I loved the small quirks about the school—root beer float Tuesdays, having an actual bear on campus, and so much more. After a tour of the school, I was certain that I would be a Baylor Bear.

Unfortunately, my choices for college were not inexpensive. Scholarships ended up being the major player in my college decision. While in the process of visiting different schools, University of Nebraska—Lincoln, University of New Mexico, and Birmingham Southern College sent me letters, offering me full rides, plus stipend, to their universities! The only problem was that these schools weren’t in Texas. I ended up visiting those universities as well as TCU during the fall of my senior year, but none of the schools made a strong impression.

I ended up applying to 8 schools: SMU, Baylor, TCU, Trinity, UT, BSC, University of Nebraska, and New Mexico…and was accepted to all of them! Although I was given great scholarships to the out-of-state schools, I knew I wanted to be in Texas. With that requirement set in my mind, plus comparison of scholarships and tuition, TCU ended up being the best option.

Not going to lie, I did feel crushed when my parents said Baylor wasn't an option. My last semester as a senior in high school I felt unhappy about the outcome but knew I couldn’t change anything. TCU orientation came right after high school graduation and completely changed my attitude about college. I fell in love with everything about the school. Frog Camp only strengthened my excitement about TCU and I was able to meet a really great friend in my small group.

I can now say that I am proud to be a horned frog, even though it wasn’t my first choice. I have met the greatest people here and I know that I would not be the person I am now had I not gone to TCU. I can’t imagine being at Baylor right now and this experience definitely showed me that, as cliché as this is, everything happens for a reason!

"Everything happens for a reason. Every action has a reaction. Always remember that what's meant to be will always find a way to come about."