As the college admissions process comes to a close in May, students finalize college decisions and make their choices on where they will be attending for the next 4 years. The process is known to be very difficult and many students understand it’s flaws. However, some students set their aims on a dream school and are able to achieve acceptance. Years of hard work and dedication paid off for seniors Jordan Cheung and Christiana Tedesco who get to call their dreams schools their home for the next 4 years.

Cheung was accepted into Brown, a university in Rhode Island with a less than ten percent acceptance rate. This school is very prestigious and known for it’s extremely competitive students.

“When I visited in September, I knew this was my dream school,”  Cheung said. “The main thing that stood out to me was the vibe. I knew for my college experience I wanted a place where people work together and support each other. Talking to some of the students there they all seemed super happy and unstressed, which was something I didn’t expect and that stood out to me.”

Students work for months to prepare their essays and test scores to submit to their chosen colleges. Cheung described the application has the most stressful point in his life. Although the process is demanding, students come out stronger and reminiscing of their memories of high school.

“It was definitely a bonding experience for the entire senior class,” Cheung said.

Senior Christiana Tedesco was also accepted into her dream school Texas Christian University which she loved for their stellar football team and internationally recognized business school.

“When I knew I wanted to major in fashion merchandising and saw very few schools offered that as a major and TCU had a really good program for it, the school instantly stood out to me,” Tedesco said.

Both students encourage students to utilize the resources available to them. With a variety of resources such as counselors, college fairs, and essay workshops, students are given the best help in achieving their dream schools.

“The college admission process was honestly really easy for me,” Tedesco said. “My SM counselor helped me the most with the college admissions process. She motivated me to be really vulnerable and be myself in my college essay. I honestly think that is a major reason I was accepted into my school.”

Both Cheung and Tedesco describe what makes a school a dream school. Cheung explains that “you don’t have to go to a big name school for it to be the perfect fit for you.”

“TCU had the whole package for me. It has my major, it has the college town feel, and the school was super modern,” Tedesco said.

With the thousands of colleges across the nation, the senior class begins to say their goodbyes while offering advice to younger students entering into this process. In discovering your dream school, the key is finding the right fit for yourself and finding a place that reminds you of home.