Name: Sarah E.

Home State: Indiana

HS GPA: 4.256

ACT Composite Score: 28

How many schools did you apply to? 5

Which ones? Indiana University, University of Mississippi, DePauw University, Yale University, and Vanderbilt University

Where did you get in? IU, Ole Miss, and DePauw

Were you surprised by any of your admissions decisions? No, I wasn't really surprised. I expected to get into IU, Ole Miss and DePauw, and I knew that Vanderbilt and Yale were stretches. I guess I was kind of disappointed not to get into Vanderbilt because I thought I had a decent chance, but in the end I'm okay with it. Getting into Yale never felt realistic to me, but it was worth trying.

Did you apply early decision/early action to any schools? Are you happy with your decision? No, I did not apply early decision/early action anywhere. I'm pretty happy with my decision not to, although doing so might have boosted my chances at Vanderbilt and Yale.

Did you get waitlisted anywhere? No

Where will you be next fall? DePauw University.

How excited are you? I'm ecstatic to be a tiger next fall!

Why did you choose the school you did? When it came to deciding where to go, I ended up following the money. DePauw presented me with an incredible scholarship that I could not turn down. When I first received the scholarship, I admit that I was almost a little disappointed because I was heavily leaning toward attending IU. However, I realized I was being stupid. I am thrilled with my decision to attend DePauw. The school is going to present me with so many amazing opportunities I would not have had elsewhere, including the Media Fellows program, excellent internships, amazing travel abroad opportunities, small class sizes, and a huge amount of freedom when it comes to class selection. The liberal arts education, I have discovered, is truly perfect for me.

What advice do you have for surviving the admissions process? Breathe. Sleep. Stay on top of deadlines. Even though it's hard, try to get things done as early as possible. Figure out a list of all the school's your going to apply to early on in the fall so you don't have to go through an application in a hurry. Don't get completely attached to one school—keep an open mind. Most of all, don't kill yourself over applications.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently, if anything? I would have decided to apply to Vanderbilt and Yale earlier. I also wouldn't have shied away from so many other great private schools. I was always worried about the money, so I threw a lot of schools to the curb—with the exception of three. In the end, the private school I was accepted to ended up giving the most money and became my cheapest option. Lesson: don't disregard a school because of the ticket price. It may surprise you in the end. I also think I would have applied to one school in an urban setting that I had a better chance to get into. Boston University would have been nice.

Anything else you want to say? Senior year goes by incredibly fast. It seems like yesterday was the first day of the school year, and now, as I write this, graduation is three days away. I've had a good year and I hope all of you other seniors have as well. My advice to the underclassmen reading this is to have fun. Having fun doesn't mean completely forgetting about your work, because that is an extremely important part of senior year or junior year or whatever grade you will be entering next fall. However, remember that it is your last year of high school, your last year with all your friends, your last year in the same building as your favorite teacher, and your last year at home with your family. It's an important year and a fun year and sad year all in one. Make the most of it.

I've loved being able to share this year with you! I'm honored to have been chosen. I wish everyone the best of luck with whatever it is you will be doing next fall, whether starting high school, returning for your junior year (your hardest, by far), applying to college, or like me, moving into your dorm. But for now there's still a beautiful summer ahead. Enjoy it!

Sarah E.