<p>To all applicants/future applicants: please be open to change in your life. Please don’t plan out every moment of your life, in order to try and achieve the goal of going to “x” school.</p>
<p>Yes, I’m a freshman at Brown. But I got there a very circumspect way: I didn’t even know Brown existed until my junior year. My freshman year I thought all ivies were for snobs and rich kids. However, a lot changed throughout high school, and if I hadn’t been flexible, had I not dropped some things I thought would be necessary for college admissions (like playing varsity football) in favor of things I truly loved (like swing dancing and debate… both of which I didn’t start until after my sophomore year) there’s no way I’d be as satisfied a person as I am now. But the satisfaction doesn’t come from the fact that I’m at Brown, it comes from the fact that I’m figuring out my life, and partaking in things that truly challenge who I am.</p>
<p>I love spontaneous events. Who knew I’d like to dance? As a freshman, I would have been ashamed at the thought. As a freshman, I couldn’t imagine there being anything better than football. Who knew I’d enjoy debate? If I’d stuck to my freshman plan, that part of me, where I learned so many of my leadership skills, would have never happened.</p>
<p>Life happens, and it’s your job to make the best of opportunity given to you. You never know what’s around the corner, but more often than not, if you’re able to go with the flow, if you’re able to change yourself to take advantage of unseen opportunities, to try things you’d heard about, but had been scared or unsure about, you’ll find yourself far more satisfied than merely fitting into your old-self’s cookie-cutter idea of what your life should be.</p>