I'm going to break protocol here and speak honestly: I did not know Saint Michael's College existed until they sent me a Standout Student Application.
Yes, that's right. Furthermore, I knew very little about it when I filled out that application and sent it in. I didn't start really researching it until I got my gorgeous acceptance letter in the mail.
I was at first put off by the "Saint" in the name - I'm agnostic, so I was wary. But I read up voraciously, my interest piqued at first by a Google Image search (the campus and surrounding area is GORGEOUS), then by the Forbes rating. I currently live in a small town and I didn't think I would like another one, but I loved the idea of a sense of a caring, tight-knit community where everyone helped everyone else out. And when I finally visited in April, I just got that feeling, that vibe that practically every college student's blog has advised me to look for.
But I can't tell you anything you can't find on SMC's website or in the existing student blogs.
Here's the rub: During my college search, I was unhappy, overstressed by my self-inflicted courseload and feeling trapped in a town I didn't care for. I longed for an escape and a fresh start, freedom from the reputation I'd given myself when I was a young(er) angst-ridden negativity-filled teenager. Saint Michael's filled my PO Box with glossy purple brochures (my favorite color) with the word "happy" emblazoned EVERYWHERE. As I said before, I'm not at all religious, but... it seemed like a sign from above. Everything I was longing for was promised in those brochures (kudos to whoever designed 'em). Then, when they knew my name and a little about me, they made me feel special; they sent me a birthday card. Before I ever entered the state, I could see myself there. I could imagine myself belonging for a change and being happy. Isn't that what everybody wants?
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