The Days Are Just Packed

Brevity is the soul of wit, and I also am extremely tired, therefore I shall be brief, and direct.

Today most of all we met people who inspired me to reflect on my future. After takng the train into Penn station we met with Peter Chau, one of the original connectors for the ILC, after attending Dartmouth he put the school in contact with Mr. Ramsey which helped set the ILC in motion seven years ago.

Peter is direct. He pulled no punches in clearly outlining, step-by-step, chunks of advice based on different aspects of college admission, be it the essay, testing, or what have you. While part of me is just more neurotic about the entire process, the other part is calmed with the thought that no matter where I go, I trust that I am the type of person that create something positive wherever I go. Furthermore, that I realize want everyone in WCCUSD to be able to get the same caliber of professional insider advice that I am now getting, and the awareness of options that comes with it. And as per Peter's advice, I'm planning on beginning the whole process ASAP when I get back from New Haven.

Later we sat down with David Buckwald, another Nor-Cal rep., this time from Columbia. Aside from giving us a personalized Columbia info session, he opened himself up to questions from Matt, Dyana, and myself. I took this opportunity to ask him a question I have come to ask all reps. that I meet: everyone in the Ivy League is smart, why would someone choose Columbia over any other school of its caliber, wht qualities set them apart and make them feel at home there? What I took from his answer is that there is a spirit of adventure that animates much of the student body. It takes courage to brave the city, compete at a top university, and to make the most out both experiences, it is their ability to take advantage of their situation to such a high degree that sets Columbians apart.

Lastly we had dinner with a group of Columbia alums, and while I only was able to talk to one, Matt Chou, I will certainly remember our conversation. After a brief introduction and icebreakers, we quickly got into the swing of conversation. I won't bore with details but I will end with this: awhile back I received some advice about how to choose a college, "Go visit, walk around, talk to some people. If they seem like people who you would want to hang out with, it might be the right place for you." We did not always agree, nor did we even have many of the same sensibilities, but I genuinely enjoyed talking to him as a peer and based on our connection, I felt as though I could see myself in a place like Columbia.