In the college process, there are two types of admission plans: early decision and regular decision. Most people apply early decision to schools they are 100% committed to and know they will attend the school no matter what. Marlon Perdomo was one of the many students who applied early, guaranteeing his decision and commitment before the second semester started. Through the help of College Match, Perdomo was able to secure a spot at Stanford University.
According to Perdomo, he ended up choosing Stanford because of College Match, a program meant to help high-achieving students through the college application process. He states, “they brought a lot of attention towards specific colleges on the East Coast, but after talking to my counselor, she spiked my interest in Stanford. I visited the campus with my sister in October and fell in love with the campus, specifically because it’s a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) school and that’s what I’m planning on pursuing.” Through his campus visit and interests, Perdomo found the perfect match for him.
Following through with STEM, Perdomo plans on pursuing engineering, debating between mechanical and aerospace engineering.
On the topic of leaving home, Perdomo claims to be excited to move. He states, “I feel very excited about leaving home. Through my past trip with College Match and fly-ins on the East Coast and living over there alone for a few days and getting the whole college vibe, I really enjoyed the independence I got from that. I will miss home, but it’s something new and different that I’m excited to go and try.” He has had previous experiences with leaving home and enjoyed the freedom he got, making his upcoming leave one full of excitement.
Despite the excitement for freedom, perdomo believes he will have a hard time adjusting to the rigor of the classes. He states, “MACES is a pretty decent school in the area, but overall I’m not sure if I’m prepared for all the rigor they have to offer at Stanford, especially in the STEM field I’m trying to go for.” He claims to feel underprepared in dealing with the rigor. While MACES may have prepared him a bit, he feels the levels of rigor are unparalleled. Even then, Perdomo is excited to meet new people. At MACES he has his designated friend group, but as most of them prepare to leave for the East Coast, Perdomo has to make new friends and form new connections. He claims, “I will be alone because I don’t think anyone else has gotten into Stanford so far. It’s going to be a whole new world.”
To current juniors, Perdomo says, “Do your research and start early. I had a lot of help through College Match, so if you’re a junior look into that as well. Apply to programs for the summer before junior year and fly-ins in the fall.” He emphasizes that starting early is really crucial because “If it weren’t for College Match I would’ve been very lost, so if you don’t have something like College Match, starting early is probably best (Perdomo).”—
