<p>I generally shy from writing much on these message boards because my story is so unique that I fear losing my anonymity, which I cherish. I have, however, read much of what others have written, and since I noted that so many people are still trying to make up their minds about Georgetown, I thought it might help if I shared a bit about my own decision process.</p>
<p>When I get to Georgetown (SFS) in the fall, I will be a 24 year old freshman. Rather than go to college after high school, I joined the army. How I came to that decision is a long and complicated story that I will not get into now. My job in the army is also irrelevant to this topic, so Ill skip that detail as well. This is about Georgetown more than it is about me.</p>
<p>I knew I wanted to attend a four year college throughout my time in the army. For a while, I was dead set on the idea of attending Westpoint, but my lack of enthusiasm for drill and ceremony and for being treated like dirt changed my mind.</p>
<p>After a couple of years in training units at various posts in the US, I was sent to South Korea. I spent a while up near the DMZ and later transferred to a more plush assignment in Seoul. A year and a half ago, I attended a training course in Maryland. Part of the training involved a high speed driving course (which was lots of fun) that the State Department sends people to before they are deployed. I chatted with them a bit about work. It seemed that half of them had been to Georgetown, and they all talked about the place like it was the perfect school. That made me curious, so I drove to DC one weekend and saw Georgetowns campus for the first time. That was when I began thinking seriously about Georgetown. Before that, applying to a college as prestigious as Georgetown simply had not crossed my mind.</p>
<p>Shortly after returning to Korea, I was deployed to Iraq, where I spent a year enjoying all the pleasures that country has to offer. It was hard and often very sad, but it was one of the most fascinating experiences of my life. I had the opportunity to work with people from a variety of agencies and countries and international institutions. I was generally the youngest person in the group and the only one who had not attended college, so they would question me about my plans for the future. When I mentioned that I would like to go to Georgetown, but did not think I would get in, they scoffed at my lack of confidence. They all said that Georgetown would be great for me, and that I would be great for Georgetown.</p>
<p>I mentioned other schools, but I always received the most encouragement when I talked about Georgetown. People told me that I would have the most to offer there because those students would be the most interested in my own experiences. Since so many people at Georgetown, and particularly in SFS, are interested in international relations, I would be able to give the perspective of a young person who had spent some time deeply involved in the application of US Government policies.</p>
<p>So that is why I chose Georgetown: not only because I like the idea of spending time with a diverse group of bright young people studying international relations, but because I hope to be with people who will be interested in hearing what it was like to sit up on the DMZ and look at North Korean farmers, drive a humvee through Baghdad, or chat about foreign policy with Iraqis over tea.</p>
<p>Im sorry this is so long. I hope this is of some help to those of you who are still trying to make up your minds about which incredible school you will begin attending in the fall. As for those who, like me, have already sent in your deposits, I look forward to meeting you in August. - ECS</p>