“I know applying to colleges is the last thing you want to do right now, but you might change your mind,” a trusted friend told me. It was December of my senior year of high school, and college application deadlines were approaching quickly. I was recovering from a major illness at the time, and wasn’t ready to think about college. My plan was to spend a year living at home and working before I pursued higher education. In the following months, my recovery progressed rapidly. As my friend predicted, I changed my mind and wanted to go to college that fall. Hurriedly, I sent in an application to Marlboro College.
Marlboro seemed like it would be a smooth transition from high school to college. My high school was a boarding school focused on experiential learning, with a diverse, close-knit student body. I was eager for more traditional academic rigor in college, but also wanted a place where I would feel comfortable. Marlboro College offered the rigorous liberal arts education I was looking for, in a community of fewer than 200 students. It is located in rural Vermont, which is culturally similar to my hometown. The small community meant it was easier to make friends, and the surrounding area reflected many of my values. My decision to go there was coming from a place of self-care, and I …show more content…
I underestimated my capacity for growth and learning. Though the small size and geographic isolation are rewarding for many, I long for more resources. I miss the social diversity that I had in high school. The college that I do want to study at has more academic resources and a more diverse community. Although I can challenge myself wherever I am, I want to be in a place where others are challenging themselves as well. That is, a community where other students chose a college because they wanted a great post-secondary education. I want the diversity that comes with a larger school, where I can find different viewpoints from which to
Marlboro seemed like it would be a smooth transition from high school to college. My high school was a boarding school focused on experiential learning, with a diverse, close-knit student body. I was eager for more traditional academic rigor in college, but also wanted a place where I would feel comfortable. Marlboro College offered the rigorous liberal arts education I was looking for, in a community of fewer than 200 students. It is located in rural Vermont, which is culturally similar to my hometown. The small community meant it was easier to make friends, and the surrounding area reflected many of my values. My decision to go there was coming from a place of self-care, and I …show more content…
I underestimated my capacity for growth and learning. Though the small size and geographic isolation are rewarding for many, I long for more resources. I miss the social diversity that I had in high school. The college that I do want to study at has more academic resources and a more diverse community. Although I can challenge myself wherever I am, I want to be in a place where others are challenging themselves as well. That is, a community where other students chose a college because they wanted a great post-secondary education. I want the diversity that comes with a larger school, where I can find different viewpoints from which to