I wanted to be done with my apps way earlier, but you know how it is . . .
1/12: Big white envelope from IU comes first, everything is nicely packaged, full-ride offer is in the acceptance letter. I got the hand-written comment with an additional hand-written note. This is pretty much the best thing ever, and I immediately call everyone who ever cared about what I'd be doing next year. Even still, it takes many weeks to realize what a sweet offer this is.
1/16: E-mail from GW. Super excited. Big package comes a few days later.
1/18: Generic acceptance e-mail from Vermont. This came one week late to excite me.
1/20: Vermont package comes with $25,000 a year. I've been told I could probably get them to match the full-ride, but I'd take IU anyway. Besides, I suppose I'm kind of a hippie but I don't know if South Royalton is the place for me.
1/22: Small envelope from Hastings confuses me, as I open to an acceptance. I have West Coast representation.
1/28: I receive an e-mail talking about ASW at Wisconsin before anything else, although the general admitted e-mail comes in about an hour later. Package a few days later with no merit, although I notice they haven't given out any scholarships at all except to URMs, what gives? Still, I'm happy about this one, Madison is pretty much the best college town ever.
2/5: GW sends me another package, complete with flash drive. They are doing a pretty good job selling me the school (various e-mails from alums and current students plus mail).
2/7: Package from Hastings explaining to me all about the loan systems and housing. I'm pretty sure this means I'm not getting any merit.
2/13: Call from Boston University (voicemail). Thank you very much.
2/19: "Thanks but no thanks" -Washington. Believe it or not, this was a huge disappointment to me, they were my #2.
2/20: My parents call to inform me that I receive a (small-letter) acceptance at my address back home from Pittsburgh. E-mail soon follows telling me the financial aid is coming.
2/23: Finished all my applications for need-based aid (for any of you that want to match up completed financial apps with my responses from various schools)
2/27: Pittsburgh Dean's Scholarship: $12,000 a year. I don't really think they were in the running after Indiana's offer, although I wouldn't mind ending up working in Pittsburgh when all is said and done, and Pitt would have put me in great position to do that. They've also been hammering me with recruitment e-mails (in a good way) about opportunities I would have there.
3/5: Letter from BU. I'm getting nothin' need-based.
3/6: Awesome personalized e-mail from dean at environmental law at GW. BU doesn't really seem to care about me one way or the other, GW shows me attention despite much larger group of acceptances. What can I say, this makes a difference . . . plus DC probably a better spot for me to be considering what I want to do.
3/11: After a dead period I receive an absolutely tremendous call from Texas. Oh goodness and glory, I might be headed south. The fact that it's been the worst winter in Michigan that I can remember has me dreaming Austin.
3/15: Dear ______, We have allocated you $63,000 a year to go to school here. Love, GW. PS - You have to pay it all back with interest. Sigh, at least it was on the Papal St. Patty's, I was riding a strong positive wave of inebriation. Maybe I'll get merit leftovers . . .
3/20: Hastings financial aid package. Standard loan package with the 'Hastings grant,' it won't be enough.
3/28: After dead period I give verbal commitment to Indiana, my career aspirations don't really allow me to take out the type of debt I need to go to any of the top schools to which I was admitted, even my dream school Texas, although I'm having a really hard time letting go of that one. I plan on doing a 4 year JD/MPA with environmental policy at IU, even though my scholarship only lasts for three years.
4/10: Just days before my visit to Austin, scholarship comes in giving me in-state (a scholarship in itself for me) plus $6,000. Things done changed.
4/14: Great visit, I leave my deposit with UT while I'm there.
4/21: Officially withdraw from Indiana, although I really loved the school and thought I would have been really happy there. Austin was just too much to pass up.
On Texas!