Reflections on Making the College Decision

I remember being 18 once, faced with the daunting choice of my future

college, a choice I had worked countless hours to earn. With all my options

before me, I remember standing there lost, confused, and overwhelmed.

Could I live in freezing weather? What differentiated Business Administration

and Business Economics? How would bell curves and grade inflation affect

me? Growing up my entire life in Irvine, I had decided that I didnt want to go

to college in my own backyard. I thought I could find more opportunities for

myself only in a new setting, an unfamiliar place where I could explore new

roads, find new journeys, meet new people. In all honesty, I remember

registering for Honors Experience Day, the annual UCI Campuswide Honors

recruitment event, more as an excuse to miss a couple classes.

At Honors Experience Day however, my opinion of UCI changed in a

way I never expected. The amount of attentiveness and consideration shown

to me that day, from volunteers, counselors, and faculty, all of whom

addressed me by name in conversations, left me with the impression that I

would not be just another number at a large public university. Touring the

campus and listening to the information presented, I also came to realize

how many doors UCI and the CHP would open for me. Even living in the same

city for so many years, I had never known that the large campus was so

student friendly or that UCI was ranked number 1 among universities under

50 years old. After going home from Honors Experience Day, I found myself

reevaluating my thoughts and with a couple nights rest, I made the

somewhat frightening decision to attend UCI and be part of the Campuswide

Honors Program.

Every single day of the three plus years since Ive been at UCI, I have

woken up knowing that I made the right college choice. In my time here, I

have enjoyed the resources of a large research university while receiving

individualized attention. Indeed, while I have been able to take classes from

renowned professors across many fields, something only possible at a large

public research institution, I have also been the recipient of personalized care

from dedicated honors counselors, people that genuinely invest in your

future. At UCI, I have also leveraged resources available to me to

successfully land two internships, countless volunteer opportunities on and

off campus, and even a job at the 2016 worlds most admired company.

Most of all however, I have found a support system that never fails to

act as my second backbone. No matter if its a staff member or a peer, the

people in CHP have always stood by my side, pulling me back up when I

stumbled and cheering me on when I reached new heights. Through the CHP,

Ive also met my closest friends, people who share my passions, understand

my visions, and challenge me to adapt new perspectives. To me. being in the

Campuswide Honors Program is so much more than just a distinction or a line

written on a resume. Rather the CHP is a family away from home, even if

home is just 5.2 miles away.