Even from those of you who have followed my blog all along, I’ve kept much of my personal life a mystery. Partially, I was worried about privacy. However, I also simply didn’t think anyone would be interested in hearing about my daily life. But since I seem to be wrong (I love hearing about others’ lives too), here’s a little more about what I’ve been up to these past few years. I won’t start at the very beginning, even though Julie Andrews says it’s a very good place to start. Instead, I’ll start with my senior year of high school.
During my senior year of high school, I unfortunately did not go about college hunting in the best way. If it wasn’t Ivy League, I didn’t even want to look at a school. I very much wish I could go back and tell my high-school self how crazy her thinking was.
I fell in love with UPenn as soon as I set foot on campus. The only problem: Nobody told them that Katie was destined for their school. When the college letter arrived, it was suspiciously thin.
My dream school waitlisted me?!
Looking back, I know the waitlist letter, which ultimately turned into a rejection, didn’t have anything to do with my worth; it simply meant the admission department decided I wasn’t the right fit at the time. To me, though, it felt like I wasn’t good enough. Even now, I still feel a little ashamed admitting my rejection.
After shedding many tears over the matter (and literally throwing the waitlist letter in the fire. Burn!!!!), I settled on Bryn Mawr College. It was quiet and peaceful but also close to an urban setting. It was a good school, far from home, and it even participated in a consortium with UPenn, meaning I could take classes at my dream university.
Bryn Mawr was a terrific school, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting great girls and taking advantage of the school’s close proximity to Philadelphia. I even prefer Philly to NYC, because it’s smaller and more manageable whilst still being jam-packed with fun. But the school just wasn’t right for me. You know how sometimes you can feel—in your heart—that something’s just not right? For me, Bryn Mawr was too small. It was difficult to get into all the classes I desired, since most only offered one section. I found myself signed up for classes simply because they fit my schedule: NOT cool when you’re paying for each course. After my first year away, I transferred to SMU in Dallas.
Update: click for My College Story – Part 2.
Question of the Day:
How did you choose what college to attend, if you attended one? (Or, how do you plan to choose?)
Oh and I meant to say I AM SO HAPPY you are going to add more personal stuff- now I’ll definitely stop by more often- which sounds kind of creepy— sorry, about that 🙂 I’m just excited to a blog friend rather than a recipe holder 🙂
Katelyn,
It doesn’t sound creepy at all! Actually, you sound like someone I’d love to know in real life. Who sounds creepy now?? 🙂
I graduated high school with a 4.0 and great SAT scores and was told I could go pretty much anywhere — and then I only applied to one place, Indiana University.
I always thought that I would leave and go to college far away from home, but I ended up going to the college 10 minutes away from my house, where my mom works! It made perfect sense because I got so many scholarships that I was going for free. In fact, one year I made money by getting more money scholarships than I had to pay. I ended up graduating after three and a half years with three majors, and I feel like I got a fantastic education. You really get out of it what you put into it.
I graduated last December at age 20 and now I can start my life, debt-free. And I moved very, very far away from home haha.
I love reading about you!! this is so fun!
my motto- life works out.
I was denied early admission to stanford which broke my heart. i got into my second choice-tufts, but decided to go to BU because they offered me a hefty scholarship. A bawled for days about that decision, but leaving college debt free won out over the tufts name. Now-I’m so glad i went to BU. If i had gone to tufts i would probably still be pre-med and not happy about my courses. I was lucky that BU has an AMAZING nutrition department, and I am loving my new major. Plus, because it’s such an urban campus I get out into the city a lot, and that’s been very important to me!
can’t wait to read part 2.
I definitely had the same complex about ‘needing’ to get into a prestigious school, but it was not out of snobbery or thinking that I was smarter/better than people at state schools. I went to public schools growing up and while having 2500 students at my high school made a competitive atmosphere, people just did not seem motivated to do anything, whether academic or not. Most of my peers went to Ohio State, where I had already taken honors 1st year organic chemistry over the summer, and talking to them I got the impression that nobody liked to talk about interesting, relevant, or worldly topics, but rather getting ****faced over the weekend or what was new on Lost (and these were supposed to be the smartest out of a huge school). I ended up getting in early decision to MIT and then applying to Stanford and Michigan as an after thought, getting in to each of these schools. I decided on Stanford because it seemed progressive, intelligent, and relaxed; was super far away from home; and my brother lived nearby. I do not regret going to a competitive college whatsoever. I have met tons of amazing people from all over the world, enjoyed rocking out with the marching band, had a private dinner with Condi Rice, genetically altered bacteria to make pharmaceuticals, travelled by boat between Edmonton and Saskatoon, had a class taught by a Nobel Laureate, studied in a bikini, become one of the few undergrads on the board of Trustees, gone home with my best friend to New Delhi, written an iPhone app, and now I’m working in a startup company in San Francisco for a biotech company.
I don’t judge people based on where they went to school and I hate being judged or seen as pretentious because I do go to a elite school. When it comes down to it, I like to surround myself with people do cool things, tell great stories, are loyal friends, and value learning/science/worldliness and I happened to find those kinds of people at my university.
ahhhhh your outfit in that pic is FANTASTIC! You look amazing in it. GREAT colors on you.
College– I applied early to a tiny liberal arts school in Maine (Bowdoin) because I had good feelings associated with Maine, it had a high ranking, was small enough to make sure I’d never get overlooked, and offered a major in Neuroscience. I got in, thank goodness, as I had no back-up plan! Then for graduate school I ended up at UT Austin, pretty much the opposite of my little Bowdoin, but I love it too.
Oh my gosh, how ironic!
I’ve been thinking about applying to Bowdoin, but nobody I know has heard of it (much less attended the school for undergrad). Is there any way that I could email you with a few questions?
Yes, definitely!
chocolatecoveredkatie@msn.com
And my cousin went to Bowdoin!! Now I think he works in hedge funds and makes a crud-load of moolah! 😉
I had a similar thing. I was destined (so I thought) to go to Cornell. After all, one of my favourite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, went there. I had perfect SAT’s, ACT score, etc. And I was valedictorian. Didn’t get in. I got ‘waitlisted’ as well, but declined. I decided instead to go to Ball State because I couldn’t afford my second choice, University of Chicago, even though I got in! Well, I hated Ball State (and Indiana), and transferred ultimately to Michigan State University. In the process of all this, I also switched from a music major to journalism, then finally to environmental science. I felt like a failure going back to my home state…but guess what? It had the most amazing program for what I wanted to do. AND the professors were phenomenal. I ultimately got a job in AUSTRALIA with one of my professors from MSU, met my partner, and just got married to him! I am a rational thinker who eschews any idea of fate, but I can tell you that I do feel fortunate that every step led me to the life I lead now, which I love.
I poo-poo my former snob self 🙂 After all, what would she think about a girl who became an environmental scientist? I mean, how UN-glamorous is that?? Smart girls don’t become tree huggers! Well, former snobby Sarah, they do…and they get to live a life full of passion and work that they love….no matter what anyone else thinks. I wouldn’t take back those tumultuous late high school/early college years for anything.
Whew, that was long-winded! Thank you so much for this new angle on your blog. I am loving it already.
Sarah –
Just letting you know that everyone hates Ball State, and I promise all of Indiana is not like Muncie. Bloomington is way better. =)
Aw Katie, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! I think it breaks down a lot of walls in blog-land when you open a little bit about yourself. When its only a one way street, and you don’t really know much about the other person, I find it hard to connect to that blog. (This is untrue about yours of course, but I love that you’re opening up anyway!)
Oh, and btw Katie, I loove that full-length photo of you at the top! Your legs look so strong and you look beautiful! Hope you’re enjoying your summer lady. 🙂 xo!
Bekah,
Awww thank you! And same to you!! 🙂
I love hearing more about you 🙂
After high school I worked for 2 years before I could decide what I wanted to study and then it was a sealed deal when I finally figured it out. I also got waitisted which was embarrassing because my language test results were 100% but the others were not :S anyway, I got in and spent the most wonderful 4 years in my college and after a while no one cared how you got in 😉
i applied to upenn early decision and was deferred. most students from my small school usually get in, so i was sure i’d get in once regular decision time rolled around. no such luck. i was so bummed and was crying hysterically, until i found out that i at least got into another one of my top choices. even though i’m totally stoked to be headed to that school now (i’ll be a freshman this fall), i’m still pretty embarrassed about being rejected by penn. it sucks, but i know that i’m going to have an awesome experience come this fall. plus, people can get a great education and meet incredible people at ANY school, and keeping that in mind has been really reassuring for me. thanks for this post, katie.
anonymous,
Thank YOU for your comment. I feel the same way as you… but really, it’s Penn’s loss for not taking us. Who wants to go to a school that rejects the best applicants anyways? 😉
I hope you enjoy the heck outta your college experience!