I will begin with Posse because prior to Posse, I had never heard of a Bryn Mawr. Posse is a nation-wide scholarship foundation based on merit and leadership capacities. Bryn Mawr has been a proud participant of Posse Boston for nearly 11 years and counting! In the early stages of my application for the Posse scholarship, my mother was not thrilled that Bryn Mawr wasn’t Harvard and she encouraged me to seek other schools in Boston. She works at Mass General Hospital, one of the best in America, and decided that she would do her research there about Bryn Mawr. One of the very well respected doctors she sought inquiry from told her that Bryn Mawr was an exceptional college. He asked her who in her family was attending Bryn Mawr. After she told him that it was her daughter, he raved about how intelligent I must be and congratulated her on doing a wonderful job raising a genius (practically). A genius I am not, but my will power far exceeds my skill power and that will take me long and far.

My guidance counselor told me about an opportunity that sends groups of students to out-of-state liberal arts schools. The students’ goal is to work as a leadership force on campus as well as to serve as a support system. The interview process (DAP) consists of three levels, the first of which includes hundreds of applicants. The number of students that I was up against was unthinkable. Judges walked around the room and observed the ways we interacted with others while completing various team-building tasks. The second interview was one on one in which two Posse personnel would get to know you better on a personal level. Lastly, the final interview was structured like the first, but among thirty women aiming to get into Bryn Mawr. I was in a room full of dreamers and at that point, I was just a face. However, it is in this room that Bryn Mawr personnel come to observe you to see how you interact. There I met Christopher MacDonald-Dennis (former Dean of Multicultural Affairs) and Jenny Rickard (Chief Enrollment and Communications Officer), and many others who I am sure played an essential role in selecting the final ten. In a short time I became more than a face, and was in a sense handpicked. If this didn’t tell me that Bryn Mawr wanted me, then what else would? And what other school would go this far to show themselves in such a positive light? Granted, this may not happen to everyone in early decision, but if selected, imagine people sitting around a table discussing how wonderful you are and discussing why you belong here.

I was excited about Posse, which was/is a dream package, but I was still a little bit wary about Bryn Mawr because I hadn’t seen it or even heard of it prior to Posse. Furthermore the Posse process meant that I had to apply early decision. If I were to accept the Posse offer, I had to withdraw all other applications from all other schools. It was a frightening decision to make, but I had decided to make it. After the choice I was not at ease. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew that Bryn Mawr had a beautiful campus and offered the majors that I was interested in pursuing. What mattered to me at this point were the people. During my last interview, the Bryn Mawr personnel that had come so far to meet the Posse applicants had just been a small glimpse into the atmosphere of the campus. We were flown into Bryn Mawr for a prospective student’s weekend, which consisted of many special performances, social gatherings, dining and tours of the campus and city. It was a special and warm welcome. I had decided to come to Bryn Mawr early decision by way of Posse with only a vague idea of what I was getting myself into. I’ll tell you that it was the smiles that I received while on this campus that made me realize for sure that I would fare well here. Go anywhere else on a college tour, and you may or may not agree with me, but you might just find that Bryn Mawr treats you the most warmly. If you apply early decision, I won’t say that you will or won’t feel regret. I’d recommend that you to come to the campus before making your decision so that you can be sure Bryn Mawr is right for you. However, this school, despite its hardships, is a special place and will have you feeling like a champion, if not the first day of arrival, then the last. My day will be Commencement day: May 12, 2012.