New Opinions

Airplane view of Missouri

I woke up this morning at the late time of 7:30 AM and meandered down to breakfast. Our cohort shared funny stories about trying to fit everything back into our suitcases, and it was great to relax and enjoy each others company like we had last night. I went to the gym after breakfast to try and work off some of last night’s delicious dinner, then showered and finished packing for Chicago.

Chicago viewed from our shuttle

Overall, our experience at Washington University was a success. Our first college tour was an eye opener. I initially assumed that I wouldn’t be interested in Washington University, but I found that as we spoke with alumn after alumn, I started forming a favorable impression of the school. I hadn’t seriously considered WashU before this trip because of the location–I wasn’t sure if I could stand the culture shock that I assumed would result as a Bay Area girl moving to the Midwest. After visiting, however, I think it would be less of an adjustment than I originally thought. Everyone was very welcoming, and it sounds as though the student body is pretty diverse both culturally and politically. No matter how many times I think I’ve learned this lesson, I need to remember not to make assumptions before I’ve experienced something for myself, whether it is a place or a person.

It has also been great to see how my perspective about college has changed over the past year. Last year, when I toured colleges as part of the Brown cohort, I was fascinated by the idea but couldn’t fully connect with the differences between colleges. Everything seemed exciting, but somehow mysterious and distant, as I still had two years of high school left. As a rising senior, college is practically the only thing on my mind, and I am so thankful for this second chance to tour universities that I wouldn’t otherwise get to see. This first college tour has been a great chance to realize for myself what I’m looking for in a college and what I’m less excited about. I look forward to touring U of Chicago and Northwestern and further developing my college criteria.