The month of March tends to be one of the most nerve-wrecking months for seniors because admission decisions are usually released throughout the month. Anna Baltazar had the experience of waiting for her portals to update with her decisions, and when she opened up the one to Swarthmore College, she knew it was her match. She says, “Doing research into this school I thought it had a lot of great resources, it has a semester system and their financial aid is great.” Baltazar didn’t blindly choose her future home and she’s ready for her next adventure to begin in Pennsylvania.
At Swarthmore, Baltazar plans to study computer science but is also interested in exploring other fields of study. She’s ready to face challenges throughout her four years of study, but before then, on the topic of leaving home, she’s “a little nervous because I know I’m going to get FOMO (fear of missing out) but I’m also very excited.”
A majority of students know that moving from the sunny West Coast to a not-so-sunny East Coast is a big change, and Baltazar believes that one of her biggest challenges “will probably be adjusting to the weather change.” It’s a major change to go from one side of the country to the other because everything Baltazar knows will change, including the social environment she lives through. Baltazar also believes that “adjusting to a completely different social environment” (Baltazar) will be a challenge. She will go from knowing so many people and having people to rely on to having to build new friendships on the other side of the country.
Even then, Baltazar is excited for the move. As a strong coffee lover, she claims, “I’m excited to explore more and new coffee places at the school and around the area.” Baltazar is eager to find places that fulfill her hobbies and interests in Los Angeles, as she’s the same person but in a new location. It seems as though she’s eager to explore her new home, ready to be someone new.
To incoming seniors, Baltazar says, “Don’t have a top school! My cousin once told me this and I think this is the best advice I could pass on. It makes the college decision season easier and less stress free.” In her experience, not having a top college tremendously helped her make her decision and potentially saved her from heartbreak. It’s a brutal hit when your dream college rejects you, but no dream college can help soften the hit of rejections.
