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When I began leading tours last spring, I didn’t know what I was going to say. At the end of every tour, we share the reason we chose Occidental, or our “�������� Y,” as it is playfully named. I never had a dream school, just a handful that I wanted to get into, more or less. As a Fall 2021 applicant, I knew my college application and admission experience was a bit different from the traditional; I had to apply to schools I’d never seen. The spring and summer prior to my senior year, when students often tour and explore schools, were taken over by a stay-at-home order (Covid, not my parents). 

I was really unsure where I wanted to go or what school was right for me. Both of my parents work at UC Irvine and I practically grew up on campus, so I had a preliminary understanding of what a larger school looked and felt like. Lecture halls with four hundred students was an experience I wasn’t too enthusiastic about. On the other hand, my high school was bigger than a lot of liberal arts colleges and I knew I didn’t want to relive high school for another four years. I ended up applying to many places; a handful of California State University campuses, University of California schools (UCs), as well as small liberal arts schools on the East Coast, for a total of 27 schools. It was a lot.

I got into different kinds of schools and had good options to choose from. During the spring break of my senior year is when I did most of my touring, especially at the schools I had been admitted to out of state. Campus visits, meetings with coaches, discussions with professors that my dad knew. I was lucky to have my family’s support.

My dad told me at the beginning of April that I could take Friday off from school to go to an admitted student event at Occidental, if I was interested. He encouraged me to explore all of my options, knowing that I was leaning toward a school on the East Coast. My parents came with me to the event, where I got to be a student for the day. I sat in on a class (I chose one about viruses and communities), ate at the dining hall, and went on a “no parents” tour (which was a highlight). This school seemed like a place where I could fully explore every subject that interested me, while also being part of an active and engaged community. The campus felt alive. 

I was indecisive about the whole college process, from where I wanted to apply, what I wanted to major in, to where I wanted to go. Every school had its draws, but I officially committed to �������� on April 28, three days before the May 1 deadline. 

Throughout the summer, I became more excited and certain about my decision. I started receiving emails and letters about what it was like to be a student at ��������, what to get for my room, and who my new roommate was. Everything was falling into place. 

Now halfway through my time here, I can better define why Occidental is the right fit for me. I can be involved with everything and anything, explore new passions and interests–including academic areas–and learn to be a thinker and a person in the world. 

I’ve found that Occidental, right in Los Angeles, is big enough to be engaging, providing new corners, ideas, and places to find, but also small enough so that staff, faculty, and other students share a common purpose. My peers and professors want to know about me and my ideas, and are open to sharing their own.

When I was struggling to decide where to go, one of my high school teachers told me, “it is just a choice you make, you just have to make a decision and live it out.” �������� has given me an environment where I not only “live out” college, but thrive, grow, and evolve as a smarter person ready to engage with an excitingly diverse and changing world.