Dear high school seniors: I chose Clemson and you should, too

With the May 1st final decision deadline quickly approaching, high school seniors across the country are frantically waiting for their last few admission decisions, making spreadsheets comparing the pros and cons of all their options, or sitting back with their feet kicked up watching everyone else scramble because they already made their decision.

This time last year, I fell into the second category. I was overthinking every decision and I spent my nights staring at the ceiling, contemplating what my life would be like at each school. Somehow, I ended up 570 miles away from home in essentially the middle of no where, and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.

Going through my college decision, I was set on schools like UNC-Chapel Hill and UVA that were way out of my league and just weren’t for me. Clemson was always in the back of my mind as an option, but never really took center stage or stood out to me. I applied simply because when I looked online at photos of the campus, Clemson was a school I could see myself at. It seemed like a nice option to have, just in case.

Come February, I was narrowing down my options and I decided I needed to see what this Clemson school was all about. So we hopped in the car and made the 9-hour trek on “highways” and towns that were nothing like the bustling area around Baltimore. Clearly, Clemson was not what I expected, but it turned out to be something better than any school I’d visited so far.

You often hear the cliché, “I fell in love when I visited.” But for Clemson, this was 100% the case. I even visited on a cold, cloudy day, and there was snow on the ground, which I have learned is a very big deal here. Everyone I met on my visit genuinely loved this school to the point they were almost obsessed with it, which made me want to love it and be that happy about it too.

It’s been almost a year since that visit, and that’s still the detail that sticks out in my mind the most. After we went through the tour and had dinner downtown, we packed up the car and drove 9 hours home (it felt even longer this time).

After the visit, I went back to my charts and added Clemson to the list. My only cons? Distance from home and the colors orange and purple. Those colors were literally everywhere, and for some reason, I just did not like them.

But that obviously changed pretty quickly – I made my decision to attend Clemson and I’m now surrounded by that purple and orange combo. And I love it. Clemson is my home – and yes, I’ve had my difficulties like every college student, but there is not a school in this country I would ever leave Clemson for.

Between football, which didn’t disappoint with almost a five-month season; the campus, which is beautiful and actually walkable in a decent amount of time; and the people, Clemson has given me more than I could ever imagine. So thank you, Clemson, for smacking me in the face with your bright, stand-out colors, and for giving me the greatest home away from home I could ask for.