I’m just settling in to my second week back at Wellesley. We have a wonderfully long wintersession and I stayed busy. I had mentioned in previous posts my intention to fill out an application to study away in Germany. At the end of the semester, I received my acceptance letter from Jacob’s University in Bremen to attend their winter school. I took a class with Dr. Claas Kroop on Africa’s role in the 21st century. Dr. Kroop is not a professor, but a German diplomat who lived in Ethiopia and worked on the European Union’s strategic partnership with the African Union.
What I found most interesting about going to school in Europe was the international diversity of the classroom. We had students from Morocco, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Germany, Czech Republic, Serbia and I could go on. This is not to say that Wellesley is not a diverse campus. However, the travel from New York to Boston is the same from Paris to London, so there is much more prevalent international diversity.
Jacob’s is also a small school, even smaller than Wellesley if you can imagine. Just like at Wellesley, everyone seemed to know everyone on campus. Me, with my American accent and unfamiliar face stood out like a sore thumb. Nobody ever asked me where I was from because once I opened my mouth it was too obvious. Far fewer Jersey Shore jokes abroad though, which I appreciated.
While I was taking off from Wellesley, I imagine those early decision class of 2016’ers were getting all the more into it. By the way, I’m turning 21 this weekend and class of 2016 makes me feel old. I’m sure those of you still waiting for your decision letters have seen the New York Times article about Vassar’s (another [co-ed] Seven Sister!) mistake with their accidental acceptances.
I still remember the day that I read my acceptance online for Wellesley. Notifications are online and I was away at boarding school. My mother came to school to count down the minutes and baked me brownies as “comfort food” for no matter what happened. I sat on my bed and typed in my info. The second I saw my acceptance I jumped up on my bed (almost hitting the ceiling) and said “I’m totally in!” As an early decision applicant my senior year was a breeze after getting into Wellesley. A friend of mine in my early morning gym class was also apply ED, and we were able to celebrate together the next morning.
While my college process seems like a dream come true, I did have some serious anxiety about if I would get in to Wellesley. I applied ED because I felt at home at Wellesley. I fell in love with the campus and was impressed by the students. There was no other place that I wanted to go. However, with ED comes the dreaded deferral. I had decided in my head that if Wellesley didn’t think I fit for ED, then I clearly had the wrong kind of idea of what they were looking for in their students. If I was deferred, I would not have considered Wellesley a top choice anymore.
Luckily for me, I did fine home here and Wellesley had a place for me. Nonetheless, I think the college process has needless stress attached to it. If any school does not think that you are right for them, they might be right. Hopefully you’ll find home wherever you choose to attend. I certainly did. Congratulations to those who will get a chance to find themselves at Wellesley like I did, and good luck to those who are still waiting!