Whenever I reflect on some of the most humbling moments in my life, I remember the day I opened my initial FSU decision letter. I was a good student in high school, with A’s and B’s in the IB program. I was also heavily involved. I liked my essay and had over 100 service hours. My SAT score was where I fell short. Regardless, I felt like I was on track to be accepted by FSU compared to previous students who had graduated from my high school.
The 2021-2022 FSU application process was an interesting one. Previously, you could apply for fall, but get placed in summer, or of course, get denied. In the fall of 2021, FSU announced that you had to apply to summer or fall admissions, but reassured us that there was no difference (there definitely was a difference). I decided I wasn’t going to fall for whatever mind game FSU Admissions was playing and applied for fall admissions.
Fast forward to decision day in February 2022. I was anxiously awaiting my decision all day but wasn’t freaking out too badly. I opened my letter in my car with one of my best friends (videotaping me of course) in the parking lot of our tennis practice. Oh, and my parents were on the phone too. In the eight-second video, you see the look of dread come across my face, as I announce to the group, “I didn’t get in.” I didn’t cry, but I did pull out of that parking lot really fast.
My hopes for UF quickly plummeted (spoiler: I didn’t get in). I had so many questions. What does “deferred” mean? Do I even have any chance of getting in? Do I even want to consider the TCC Pathways or the First Year Abroad programs? The worst part about getting deferred was the unknown of it all. FSU had never done admissions like this, and so many of my classmates had already gotten rejected. In my moment of crisis, I was heavily considering LSU. My family and I even planned a trip to visit the campus.
After the mental breakdowns and many conversations with my high school’s guidance counselor (shout out to Ms. Stranz at CCC, such a queen!), I was ready to make some decisions and take the necessary steps. First, I knew I didn’t want to go to TCC or First Year Abroad. If community college ended up being my journey, I’d have stayed home to save money and also get classes done fast. I knew I wanted to study abroad, but a whole year felt overwhelming and too much for my little 18-year-old self. I mean, I was just a girl! I wanted to save it for when I felt more established as a person and comfortable at my college (also spoiler: I studied abroad in Florence for six weeks this past summer).
When it came to filling out my deferral form in my application portal, I decided to ask FSU Admissions to consider me for summer and fall admission. I also sent in my updated grades and SAT score. I wrote a really good letter explaining to them why they should accept me. In this letter, I fought for my life. I placed so much pressure on it and wrote about my most important involvements and commitments. This included a service project with the National Art Honor Society, being an “All-Star Cheerleader” to represent my high school, being a small group leader, and giving a speech at my high school’s freshman retreat. I also included my career goals and which Florida State resources and programs I’d utilize to achieve my wildest dreams and goals. I finished it off by researching some of FSU’s recognized student organizations and listed the ones I hoped to be involved in. I had so many people proofread it: Ms. Stranz, my parents, extended family, my English teacher, and more. I submitted it and just hoped, prayed, and tried to stay positive.
Well, I only had to hope and pray for less than a month. On a random day in March, I went to go get my phone from the phone pouch in my morning biology class. I opened my phone to an email from FSU saying there had been an update in my applicant portal. Keep in mind, I wasn’t expecting an update for months! My heart started beating so hard and my hands were shaking so badly that I could barely log into the portal. And then, I saw the confetti! I excitedly announced to two random people in my biology class that I got in! I was on top of the world. I ended up getting in for summer and I couldn’t have been more excited and thankful.
I’m thankful for my deferral because it made me realize how much I truly and genuinely wanted to attend Florida State. My acceptance is one of the proudest accomplishments of my life. It propelled and motivated me to take advantage of every single opportunity that FSU offers. I don’t take anything for granted, whether it’s a challenging class, a conversation with a classmate, or a walk on Landis. It’s crazy to think that there was a possibility of me not getting in and not attending FSU, because today, I can’t imagine my life without it.
My heart goes out to every potential Nole waiting for their deferral response. I’m sending you all the love and positivity!
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