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CHOOSING WHAT COLLEGES YOU WANT TO APPLY TO AND FILLING OUT ALL OF THE APPLICATIONS MAKES YOU REALIZE THAT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CAREER IS COMING TO AN END. IT ALSO ADDS A LOT OF STRESS TO YOUR LIFE. I APPLIED FOR EARLY ADMISSIONS TO VIRGINIA TECH AND THEY DEFERRED MY TO REGULAR ADMISSIONS. WHAT MADE THE STRESS EVEN WORSE WAS THAT MY FRIEND, HAYDEN, GOT IN EARLY, AND WHEN I DIDN'T, IT KIND OF RUINED THE WHOLE PLAN OF US GOING TO COLLEGE AND ROOMING TOGETHER. SO AFTER THAT I HAD TO TRY AND FIND SOME OTHER COLLEGES THAT HAD MY INTEREST AND APPLY TO THEM.

I APPLIED TO THREE OTHER COLLEGES, JUST IN CASE I DIDN'T GET INTO TECH IN THE END. I WAS ACCEPTED TO ALL OF MY OTHER CHOICES, GEORGE MASON, ROANOKE COLLEGE, AND JMU, BUT I WANTED TO GO TO TECH SO I WAITED TO SEE IF I WOULD GET IN. TO ADD A LITTLE MORE STRESS, AT THE FIRST DEADLINE FOR VIRGINIA TECH'S REGULAR ADMISSION PROCESS, ANOTHER FRIEND OF MINE, MIKE WEAVER, GOT ACCEPTED, AND I STILL HEARD NOTHING.

CLOSE TO THE LAST DEADLINE, I RECEIVED A LETTER OF ADMISSION FROM VIRGINIA TECH TELLING ME THAT I GOT IN. NOT ONLY DID I GET INTO THE COLLEGE, BUT I WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, SOMETHING THAT I WAS TOLD IS A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT BECAUSE OF THE RECOGNITION THAT THEIR DEPARTMENT GETS. THEY ARE RATED ONE OF THE TOP ENGINEERING SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY AND I AM JUST GLAD TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND CLASS THERE.

NEXT YEAR IM GOING TO BE A HOKIE. NOT ONLY DID I GET IN BUT ALL 3 OF MY GOOD FRIENDS, HAYDEN YOUNT, MIKE WEAVER, AND MATT DOFFLEMYER, GOT IN, SO I WON'T BE ALONE. IT WILL BE JUST LIKE ALL OF US HANGING OUT IN HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER. A BIG PART OF GOING TO COLLEGE IS LEAVING ALL OF YOUR GOOD FRIENDS BEHIND, BUT IN OUR CASE IT'S DIFFERENT. I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL WE GET THERE.