(Photo courtesy of Pratham Dalal)
Since 10th grade, I had my mind set on one college: USC. But after getting rejected, I couldn’t help but wonder if my time in high school was a success.
In high school, I pushed myself to take seven AP Classes. Some nights, I would go to bed at 11 p.m. and start the day again at 5 a.m. I made sure I got to our school library almost as soon as it opened.
On March 31, I sat at my computer waiting for the Trojan confetti to fall. But that’s not what I got. I started questioning if my hard work paid off. What could I have done better? Should I have sacrificed more sleep?
But with disappointment came opportunities. During my spring break, I went to tour another college campus and I fell in love with what it had to offer. Sure, it wasn’t USC. Yet, I knew it was right for me.
I realized I don’t have to be in my dream school to do something meaningful. I have to prioritize myself and my ability to grow, over the prestige of the school. Even if it means not attending a school that I’ve wanted to go to since I was 15.