Does the Early Bird Really Get the Worm?

My early decision acceptance to Columbia University was a dream come true, as I'm sure it was for many others. After years of hard work, months of anticipation, and far too many standardized tests, I was finally repaid on December 7 when I was accepted as a member of the class of 2011. I swiftly erased the memory of the arduous, stressful, and never-ending college application process and replaced it with countless thoughts about my new future; I anticipated everything from my roommate to my first swim practice. But my high lasted only days, when it was shot down by the less favorable decisions that came to many of my classmates. "The year of the wait-list," as deemed by my guidance counselor, struck my school. Many of my friends were deferred and rejected, and I began to think more closely about the process as a whole, surprisingly, with a sense of anger. Why had I been rewarded when others whom I considered to be far more intelligent than I had been rejected? Was it because I am an athlete, was it luck of the draw, or did the admissions counselors actually see something in my application that told them that I am a better student than the thousands of other qualified applicants? For a while, I assumed it was swimming and I resented my sport, but then I gained slight hope that maybe I would have been accepted without athletics. I am not sure if I will ever truly know, but the uncertainty is the most frustrating thing about the entire process. No matter what decision has been made, it does not come with an explanation.

The following months passed tensely. While I yearned to talk about college in every possible situation, I could not simply erupt with information about my new Facebook friends or the Columbia dorms. In fact, the word "college" remained taboo for several weeks. By the time April finally rolled around, the nerves had returned: would I finally be able to share my excitement? Success! While not everyone got into their first choice schools, it was an unbelievable relief to know that my friends also would be excited thinking about next year. In a sense, early decision did not actually assuage my tension-while my future was secure, I was not truly free of tension until I knew that my friends would not cringe anytime I used the C-word.

Throughout the first week of April, Columbia was everywhere: in my mailbox, e-mail, class videos, and newspapers. Although I thought my enthusiasm had peaked, it managed to rise at every sighting, even at Ann Coulter and Fox News' attempting to degrade the University. I remember my amazing swimming recruiting trip six months ago, and even though I have never attended an academic class, I cannot wait to represent Columbia in the pool. After my first hour on campus, I realized that I would finally be able to swim and go to school with people who are like me, people who can simultaneously share my interest in shopping and foreign affairs. As we rode the 1 train about the city, I was thrilled to think that, soon, I too would learn to navigate the subway system. The welcome that the team gave me, and my time on campus, confirmed my love for Columbia and for New York City. I would not want to be anywhere else.