Stuck in My Head

I have been to a lot of college fairs and spent many hours researching different colleges and universities; looking at tuition rates, student to faculty ratios, all of that stuff. With so many different colleges to choose from, I didn’t know how I would ever narrow it down.
One week at my school was entirely dedicated to college visits. I knew that it would be a difficult choice for me, so I went in with a plan. I am typically the type of person to take meticulous notes about everything. I considered going to each college and making a double column list of the pros and cons of that school. I rethought the idea when I realized that I would end the week with a lot of information but probably no closer to a decision. I decided to simply experience each of the campuses, and apply to the ones that really stood out. The ones that at the end of the week, I could still remember what made them special.
The only one I visited that week that really stuck out to me was F&M. What really stuck out to me was the college house program. I like the idea that you are a member of the house, even if you are not actually living in that house anymore. The houses, and the entire campus, seemed to have the sense of community I was looking for. The campus is beautiful, and maintains the historic feeling while at the same time integrating new technology. There is a diverse spectrum of clubs and organizations to be a part of on campus. It also caught my attention that F&M is SAT optional. Although I do feel as though my scores are representative of my intelligence and ability, I know that is not always the case. I wanted to find a school that is open minded and accepts applicants based on the person overall, not simply how they performed on a single test. For all of those reasons, Franklin and Marshall “stuck in my head” all through my college search and that is why I am applying.