If it weren’t for robotics, I never would have known about the small engineering school on a hill in Worcester, Massachusetts. All through junior year, all I could focus on was Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). I found myself on Youtube watching WPI’s videos that featured bubbly students talking about projects they completed and their favorite parts about being a student. I constantly ranted to my friends about all the things that make WPI special. I dreamed of visiting the campus and I tried to picture myself on the campus as I looked at WPI’s brochures and images online. By the time senior year rolled around, I knew WPI was my dream school.
I applied to a few other well-known engineering schools, but my focus was on WPI. I applied early action and had my application submitted by Thanksgiving. In the weeks leading up to the date I would receive my decision, I was a nervous wreck. I kept asking myself if my grades were good enough. I wondered if my essays reflected my accomplishments and how enthusiastic I was about WPI. I kept looking over my essays and thinking about every small detail.
Halfway through December, I received an email from WPI. As I read the email, I could not believe my eyes as I saw the world congratulations in bold letters above a phrase that said “you have been accepted to WPI-where you can imagine anything and innovate everything.” Tears began to flood down my face as I called my family and told them the news. When I went to school, I immediately ran into my high school’s college advisor’s office and showed her the letter. A month later, I received a package in the mail from WPI. To my surprise, the package held a crimson hoodie with WPI’s seal and “WPI” printed in white letters. My mom ordered it for me as a gift to celebrate my acceptance. I immediately put the hoodie on and my mom took a picture of me wearing it to capture the moment.
Although I really wanted to go to WPI, I almost didn’t apply. I kept telling myself that the school was too expensive, too far, and I believed that I wasn’t smart enough to be accepted. I nearly convinced myself that the thought of studying at WPI was a dream that would never come true. However, there was a part of me that still wanted to apply and an even bigger part of me that believed that I could potentially become a WPI student.
There have been times where I have questioned my place at WPI, and times where it seemed too difficult to keep up with the fast pace, but to this day, I know that attending WPI was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Here, I have made so many friends and met some of the most caring professors and advisors.
Looking back, I am so grateful for my mom’s relentless support, and the support of my former teachers and mentors from my robotics team. I am so grateful that I have been granted the opportunity to study at such a phenomenal school and receive such a great education. If I hadn’t applied to WPI, I would have never experienced running through the halls of Salisbury Labs with friends past midnight, visiting Boston with a friend, having late night study sessions, or watching a movie in a lecture hall with a friend after classes. Moments like these and many more are some of the reasons why I am so happy to be a goat.