Starting sophomore year, I began to receive myriads of school brochures every day. I became slightly frightened of my mailbox, as I sometimes felt that opening it would cause its contents to fall out and engulf me. Senior year, when I became a Questbridge college match finalist, while perusing through Questbridge partner schools, I stumbled upon Vassar. I was familiar with the rest of the Questbridge partner schools as they had flooded me with mail. However, I'd never heard a peep from Vassar. My relationship with Vassar commenced with a psychological desire to seek out what hadn't shown interest in me; in other words, to "want what I can't have." Now I must make a rapid clarification; I am aware of the fact that mailed brochures don't indicate a school's interest in a student. In fact, I know that school flyers exist solely to help the student become more interested in a school, not the other way around. Nonetheless, I couldn't help feeling slightly insulted.
As I researched the school that had "ignored" me, I began to realize its utter magnificence, marveling at the irony that the school that seemed to possess the most positive qualities was the one that I would've never heard of was it not for Questbridge. Various aspects of Vassar grabbed my attention; whether it was the Alumnae house where my mom could bunk in if she desired to visit, or the Andean Worlds class that could help me expand on the knowledge I currently held about my ancestors. Vassar begin to epitomize a land of opportunities, a place that would help me soar and reach the peak of my academic prowess. With Vassar, I could venture outside my preferred-major bubble and explore classes that would've been an unfathomable option at other schools, classes like Nutrition and Exercise, where I'd express my love of nutrition by discussing the inflammatory health benefits of the little known Sacha Inchi oil. If I don't obtain the grade I desire and I've filled out the Non-Recorded option for this class, I can simply eradicate my grade! No longer would grade repercussions halt me from exploring a class that has the potential to be utterly engrossing to me! In addition to letting me peruse every academic habitat available until I find my own niche, Vassar would also allow me to participate in extracurricular activities that I could only dream of at other schools. For example, I could rent a small plot of land in the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve, where I'd plant carrots and basil June through September, Chicories September and October, and whatever other seasonal produce my heart desires. I'd utilize my humble crops to create mouth-watering dishes that I'd proudly display at Vassar's HOWBOWT Organic Art Festival (From my research, I wasn't able to conclude if HOWBOWT has become an annual event, or only happened in 2009. If it only occurred in 2009, I will ardently work towards re-establishing it), because to me, the creation of mouth-watering platters is a type of art as well. I would use this display to spread the word about the importance of consuming organic food-not only to our bodies but to our beloved planet as well. This wouldn't be difficult as I've already done this in a local festival in my city. In addition to utilizing my garden for earth-friendly purposes, I would also utilize it to plant various types of antioxidant-filled herbs; I'd create tea infusions with these herbs and share them with my peers at 3o'clock- the time every Brewer reserves for soul-warming tea at the Rose Parlor.
Vassar encompasses everything I desire in a school. With Vassar, I'd be able to carve out my own path in life, one that no one has ever dared to venture upon. As Vassar creator Matthew Vassar once wisely stated, "If we only follow on in the old beaten paths, we will make no progress. We do no more than others have done before us. We are only copyists and not progressionists. My motto is progress." And so is mine.
As I researched the school that had "ignored" me, I began to realize its utter magnificence, marveling at the irony that the school that seemed to possess the most positive qualities was the one that I would've never heard of was it not for Questbridge. Various aspects of Vassar grabbed my attention; whether it was the Alumnae house where my mom could bunk in if she desired to visit, or the Andean Worlds class that could help me expand on the knowledge I currently held about my ancestors. Vassar begin to epitomize a land of opportunities, a place that would help me soar and reach the peak of my academic prowess. With Vassar, I could venture outside my preferred-major bubble and explore classes that would've been an unfathomable option at other schools, classes like Nutrition and Exercise, where I'd express my love of nutrition by discussing the inflammatory health benefits of the little known Sacha Inchi oil. If I don't obtain the grade I desire and I've filled out the Non-Recorded option for this class, I can simply eradicate my grade! No longer would grade repercussions halt me from exploring a class that has the potential to be utterly engrossing to me! In addition to letting me peruse every academic habitat available until I find my own niche, Vassar would also allow me to participate in extracurricular activities that I could only dream of at other schools. For example, I could rent a small plot of land in the Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve, where I'd plant carrots and basil June through September, Chicories September and October, and whatever other seasonal produce my heart desires. I'd utilize my humble crops to create mouth-watering dishes that I'd proudly display at Vassar's HOWBOWT Organic Art Festival (From my research, I wasn't able to conclude if HOWBOWT has become an annual event, or only happened in 2009. If it only occurred in 2009, I will ardently work towards re-establishing it), because to me, the creation of mouth-watering platters is a type of art as well. I would use this display to spread the word about the importance of consuming organic food-not only to our bodies but to our beloved planet as well. This wouldn't be difficult as I've already done this in a local festival in my city. In addition to utilizing my garden for earth-friendly purposes, I would also utilize it to plant various types of antioxidant-filled herbs; I'd create tea infusions with these herbs and share them with my peers at 3o'clock- the time every Brewer reserves for soul-warming tea at the Rose Parlor.
Vassar encompasses everything I desire in a school. With Vassar, I'd be able to carve out my own path in life, one that no one has ever dared to venture upon. As Vassar creator Matthew Vassar once wisely stated, "If we only follow on in the old beaten paths, we will make no progress. We do no more than others have done before us. We are only copyists and not progressionists. My motto is progress." And so is mine.