When I was applying to college during my senior year of high school, the University of Denver was not my first choice. In fact, DU wasn’t on my list of potential colleges. I initially applied early decision to Brandeis University and when I was accepted, I was ecstatic to attend. However, in the time between when I was accepted in December 2019 and when it was time for me to begin school in August 2020, the world had drastically changed. At this point, the COVID-19 pandemic became a large concern that impacted not only the end of my senior year of high school but also the start of my college experience.
When I arrived at Brandeis I was very excited but soon found that I was also as alone as I had ever felt. At this time, I had to wear a mask any time I left my room (even to go to the bathroom) and my introverted self was isolated. I always thought I would like having my own dorm room but instead it left me without a friend to help me start building my community.
Long story short, I was miserable. I decided that I wanted to transfer and came back to my home in Colorado to finish out the semester online. I looked at several in-state schools to potentially transfer too, but in the end, decided on DU. DU had several of the aspects that I liked about my previous school and it was also close to the community that I already had, which was very important to me. This allowed me a springing off point to continue my college journey. I am so glad that I made the decision to transfer to DU because it has allowed me to pursue all of my dreams. I am double majoring, surrounded by a significant Jewish community, living independently, and graduating a year early. DU allowed me to combine my desire of being close to my community while also allowing me to pursue my academic interests at a prestigious university.