No More Touring; Vanderbilt Here I Come!

Red Robin Restaurant!

I'm finally in Nashville, Tennessee! Many things surprised me about this place that I didn't think were going to happen. One, it's green, but not as green as I thought it would be--like Raleigh, North Carolina. There is dry-looking grass here but definitely still a lot of trees, which seems like the norm in the East Coast--and I guess in Nashville. Two, there is traffic here! We probably came on the busiest commute time though but still. And three, the "Southern Hospitality" is definitely present. Yes, I heard from the Vandy alumni and others that Nashville is a very friendly place, but I didn't expect practically every single person we would encounter to have friendly conversations with us. It's very, very nice, and I guess I'll see if this "Southern Hospitality" is as present as I think it is here. If it is, I can definitely see myself staying here for four years--or more.

I think we're (my cohort and I) getting a lot closer personally as each day passes by. I guess, like Hannah said in one of the other blog posts, that it really is a family trip. We share so many laughs and interesting situations together. We've been talking more and more about our personal lives, and although I know these girls since we're in either Forensics Speech and Debate or Band together, I'm still getting to know them so much more each and every day. We're also getting to know our chaperon, Mr. Mannix.

Our hotel room is extremely nice, and I wish we could stay at this one longer. It's very, very fancy. I, by myself, am on the 10th floor, and there's this "lounge" right across the hall. But that's okay, because for three weeks I'll be staying in a brand-new four year old dorm.

My own hotel room--a little more fancy this time

I'm excited for tomorrow, because I know all the 150 (give or take) high school students at VSA are just as excited, if not more. I can't wait to get all my stuff in the dorm and settle in for three weeks--without packing all my stuff back in within such a short time. Well time to get my social skills turned on and make new friends! I'm sure the administration at VSA have a lot prepared for us, and I'll just have to see what's in store! Time to come in with an open mind ready for some knowledge to intake.

I'll let you know what happens on Moving Day!

Nice view from the 10th floor

We're In Nashville Y'all!

The moment is nearly here; tomorrow, I will finally go to Vanderbilt and study the pharmacology class I have been looking forward to for the past couple of months. After a whole week of going around to different universities, I am totally ready to take on whatever Vanderbilt has to offer.

This morning started like any other; however, we actually got to sleep in! I swear, a couple hours of extra sleep really does wonders for you. Even so, my perky mood turned sluggish when I stepped outside. The heat was overwhelmingly intense, and I can’t believe I didn’t melt on the sidewalk on my way to brunch.

Brunch was delicious however, and when we finished, we head back to the hotel to wait for our shuttle to take us to the airport. Unfortunately, being on an airplane is not my favorite way of transportation, and I was dreading the ride. However, this time was not as bad as all the other times I went on an airplane. I still felt a little queasy, but it was not unbearable and I was able to relax my nerves throughout the hour we were on the airplane.

When we arrived in Nashville, I noticed how beautiful it looked. The city was huge and spread out everywhere which was kind of cool. The hotel we are staying at for the night – Loews Vanderbilt Hotel – is incredibly beautiful. It is so nice, that there was a wedding going on around the lobby. Too bad we are staying here for only one night though; I would have loved to stay in this hotel for just a little longer.

Our slightly messy hotel room

After putting our luggage in our rooms, we all met up in the lobby and went to Target to buy any items that did not fit in our suitcases. Shopping went by real quick so we decided to have dinner at a nearby Red Robin. I love this burger place, but their portions are just so big! I could not even finish my plate of food.

At Red Robin!

Back here at the hotel, I am thinking about this amazing past week and how much it has impacted me. We have visited several universities; ones which I have never heard of until I joined the Ivy League Connection. Without the ILC, I don’t think I would have ever considered going to a university all the way over here, much less in places like North Carolina or Tennessee. This is exactly why this program is here though; so we can learn and therefore teach others about going to universities outside of California, and what it can mean for them. Now that I am here, I know I am ready to absorb everything I am exposed to in my time here. Tomorrow at this time, I will be in my dorm in Vanderbilt experiencing the college life!

Finally In The South

Today consisted of no stress, and only a little sweat. We had a good night’s sleep last night, with full energy as we took a plane ride to our last destination in the East Coast: Nashville, Tennessee.

Our chaperone Mr.Mannix took us to Whole Foods to eat a healthy brunch.  I never knew this organic market had a buffet style eating area.  Sure, I expected a produce and a deli, but not a hot buffet and a salad bar. It was pretty interesting to see all the different types of food at a super market. Their buffet consisted of a variety of global foods and the organic food was not that bad.

We immediately headed to the airport for our flight to Nashville. Although it was our last day at Washington D.C., I didn’t feel sad or anything.  I am very blessed to be able to explore new colleges and popular landmarks. I was happy to be able to expand my knowledge on colleges I have just heard about through the ILC, and be open minded to the wonderful opportunities. I can now say I have seen the many popular monuments and museums at our nation’s capital, and even watched the fireworks there. It was a very exciting and overpowering experience, that I am sure I will never forget.

Upon arrival at the Nashville airport, I already experienced Southern hospitality.  At the rental car station, the lady who assisted us offered to help me with my luggage. She was very sincere and kind. As we drove to our hotel, I began to notice how musically inclined this city is. From many billboards to guitar replicas around every corner, you can tell how music has formed what Nashville is today. As we explored our beautiful hotel located directly across Vanderbilt University, I can say I sort of made a friend. We went into the gift shop, and right away the cashier was very nice and made us feel welcome. We all conversed about the program we are in, and he was impressed. He even informed us of the many shopping areas here in the city, and food places. People around here are really friendly and I can’t wait till we meet more.

A jukebox located right in the lobby of our hotel! Nashville is definitely a musical city!

The past hot and busy six days have zoomed right past me. Tomorrow is finally the time we’ve all been waiting for: Vanderbilt Summer Academy. In addition to the exposure of East Coast colleges, the rigorous process we went through last spring was to get us to experience a college life, and for me specifically at Vanderbilt. As I take look back at my interview, many of my answers were based around the course I wanted to take, Pharmacology, and how it will impact myself and my community. I hope to grow a firm understanding of how drugs work, and come back to my school to inform my peers about how drugs affect their bodies.

Now the time has finally come for us to live independently for the next three weeks and study at a prestigious college. It’s crazy that we have come this far, and I am very excited to begin a new journey. With new people and a new environment around me, I am excited to take full advantage of this adventure.

We ended our day with a stop at Target to get our last minute dorm necessities, then headed to Red Robin for dinner. I am not only full from my meal, but also full of new perspectives of colleges here on the East Coast.

Vanderbilt, get ready for the Pinolians, because here we come!

Just One More Day

Tomorrow, my cohort and I will move into our dorms at Vanderbilt University. I am slightly nervous, but I am definitely much more excited than anything else. This is the moment I have been waiting for; I will finally get to experience a college lifestyle while still in high school. I am really excited about my mystery writing course because I have always loved mysteries and revered the skill and intelligence of the detectives in them. I have always wanted to write a mystery story, but I lack the skills to do so. Hopefully, by the end of my time here, I will have acquired all the skills to write a thrilling mystery story that rivals this of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 

I have really enjoyed my experiences so far as part of the Ivy League Connection. I think the main reason why my travels have been so enjoyable is because I know everyone in my group. The program for Vanderbilt is restricted solely to Pinole Valley High students, so everyone in my group goes to school with me. I never spoke to my cohort much before, but I knew them in some way so we were not that awkward with each other on our first day as a cohort. The four of us have learned so much more about each other and thus we have become very close; so close that we are now comfortable enough with on another to reveal our quirky little characteristics.  

I am also forever indebted to the ILC for exposing me to colleges outside of my home state, California. I would have never been given the chance to attend a campus tour of some of the most prestigious universities in the countries or learned so much about them had I not been a part of this program. I can now confidently list what I am looking for in a college. 

This trip has also allowed me to become a stronger person academically, physically, and personally. After meeting and speaking to students from Duke, UPenn, and Georgetown, I have been inspired to reach their level of success and make something out of myself. I have learned to be more considerate of other people because I have been living with two other girls for the past week.

My writing skills have also improved because of my daily blogging. To me, being a good writer has always been my number one priority because I love to do it. I am starting to learn how to be succinct, yet still get my point across with conviction and skill. 

I have learned so much while I have been on this trip, and I expect to learn much more. I consider myself so much more mature and informed than I was a week ago, I can only imagine what three more weeks here will do to me. I have always feared that I will not be ready for college when the time comes, but now I am starting to feel a little more prepared. 

Philly and More D.C.

Today was our last day in Washington D.C.! Well, technically it was our last half-day because until 3:30 PM, we were at the fifth largest city in the U.S., Philadelphia. I have never been on a long trip on a train, and it was a great experience. The train stations are amazing, although judging from D.C.’s and Philadelphia’s stations along with Mr. Mannix’s input about them all looking similar, they all seem like they’re made by the same architect.



                                                                           The train station in Philly!

One thing that I believe UPenn wished to emphasize in the presentation (and a little bit of the tour) was its wide range of academics. At Duke, there are many courses available, over 3,000. At UPenn, there are over 4,200. From coordinated dual degrees, such as a class that mixes psychology and biology, to taking classes in any of their four schools. It’s also great that the College of Arts and Sciences at UPenn doesn’t have any course requirements, so I can truly explore if I apply at that school, which I probably would if I applied here. Nonetheless, any of the four schools here are very liberal and encourage students to explore. To be honest, however, all the three schools that my cohort and I have visited so far—Duke, Georgetown, and Upenn—have very similar academics and are pretty liberal in their academic choices. They all encourage students to try courses that they wouldn’t think would interest them at first. They have a large number of courses available, and their classes could be pretty small or pretty big. Still, I believe Duke is the most liberal because you’re really only applying for one school, unless you want to be an engineer. I know that any of these schools would give me a great academic education and will help me to graduate and get me far in life. So when it comes down to picking a right school for me, I don’t just want a good academic education, but a good environment for me to live in for four years. And to be honest, Duke has sold me out; I don’t see any flaws in Duke, except for the fact it’s so far from home and that North Carolina wouldn’t be my first state choice.

Ben Franklin--Penn's founder!

So, would I see myself at UPenn Fall of 2013? I’m not really sure. Yes, I love the city, but Philadelphia doesn’t seem like my kind of city from the first impression it’s made on me. It reminds me a little bit of Oakland. Don’t get me wrong, UPenn’s security is one of the best, and according to our tour guide, he never felt unsafe. I think perhaps if we stayed longer in Philadelphia, I might’ve connected more with the city. The campus itself, however, is beautiful, and some parts are enclosed which makes it sometimes feel as if you’re in your own little town when the city is right next door.  

"And by the end of this pathway, you'll probably have about 20 flyers by the different student organizations here."-our tour guide

 UPenn had no problem making it seem their school was EXTREMELY difficult to get in. It's probably because everyone knows it is, but the administration don't have to make it seem harder than it already is. When I saw the AP scores you had to have to pass out of one of certain subjects, most of them had to be a 5. All the requirements--essays, interview, letters of recommendations (admissions officer said was crucial), TEST SCORES, and extra curriculars--just seem so overwhelming. Of course, I still might apply here, but I guess I'll have to do some more research of my own of this school.

One great part of my day today was seeing Cameron Fulton, who is currently in the Social Justice Program at UPenn. We were really excited to see someone we knew from our school more than 3,000 miles away from our home. It's sad we didn't get to eat together, but that's okay--I'll see this guy back home at Band Camp.

After the train back home, we finally visited the Lincoln Memorial and the MLK Memorial. They were just extraordinary, and our time at D.C. this evening was a time of great picture taking and more fun times with my cohort. It was definititely much more humid in D.C. than Philadelphia, which is always great right?

Outside Lincoln Memorial

We wound up eating dinner at a Japanese restaurant, and it was very tasty. It was a great way to end the day.

A slide?

It is actually very interesting how the ILC has arranged the schools we’re visiting. Duke is a suburban school. Georgetown is an urban school but more away from the main part of the city of Washington D.C. UPenn is practically an all-out urban school. It’s in the heart of the city, with police, ambulance, and fire truck sirens sounding off every five minutes; this is because there are three hospitals very close by. The ILC really wanted us to get a taste of the different types of school environments we would have when applying to the East Coast, and I just realized that when I was on the tour at Penn. Like I said before, the academics are all very similar, but the environments are way different. I wish we could’ve visited another totally urban college like UPenn, such as Columbia, but that’s okay. With that said, I’m super excited for Vanderbilt!

The side of MLK.

UPenn: My First Ivy League School

The Amtrak Station

I can’t believe we got up so early to catch the train for Philadelphia! I was so sleepy – I mean, even if I went to sleep at 9 last night, I still would’ve felt tired. However, once I ate my small breakfast I started to wake up, and before I knew it, I was on my first train ride. On the way there, the AC was blasting through the vents and I nearly froze from the cold (a first here in the east coast).

Once we arrived, I got out of the building and was once again in the heat. This time was different though; the air in Philly was not as humid and it didn’t feel like I was swimming in the air. Yes, it was still hot, but it felt a lot better than the weather in D.C. After looking around for a while we eventually took a cab to the University of Pennsylvania.

Philly!

Who knew UPenn’s 271 year-old campus would look so beautiful up close? I sure didn’t; in fact, I was expecting it to look very run-down and old. However, as I arrived on campus, I saw how extraordinary it was; the buildings were huge and the campus was filled with enormous green trees giving it a grand and serene look at the same time.

As we came in to the Admission’s office to check in our names, I was a little excited to be checking out my first Ivy League school. I have never even been near one before, and here I was, walking around the grounds of a campus that was once so out of reach.

Anyway, as the admissions officer began talking about UPenn and all its glory, I noticed that she was speeding a little through the presentation. Going so fast isn’t such a bad thing, but since there wasn’t a slideshow or visual aid available, it was a little hard to keep up with her. Even though she did this, I did learn some things about Penn I didn’t learn before.

For example, they have no actual major for a path to medical school. Even so, Penn still has an 80% admission rate from Penn to a medical school. The reason for this is because students can major in something else while preparing for the core subjects that medical school requires. I liked this a lot since it allows students to discover new things from the exposure of taking different classes rather than getting little exposure from classes that are all in the same area.

Also, UPenn has some of the best financial aid I’ve heard thus far. Almost every single student has some sort of help and the best part is that they really review every single aspect of your money situation. They view everything; from family size to family circumstances, and will talk to you or your family personally if there are any problems in the paying process.

After our session, we all went on a tour of the campus. As I have mentioned earlier, the campus is a wonderful sight to see. The tour guide was also great since he was really engaging and hilarious. He was extremely knowledgeable about everything as well, always answering every question shot at him as well. Speaking of questions, I noticed that everywhere we’ve gone so far, hardly any parents ask any questions about the school. However, that was not the case today at Penn. It was nice to see so many parents actually caring about the school their children are interested in going.

In the end, I think that UPenn is not the right school for me. It is an incredible school, and anyone going here is very, very lucky; however, I feel as though there are many other choices for me besides this one. If I am going to go to a university for four whole years, I’d like to make sure that I am completely happy with the choice I’ve made;and I don't think I am completely happy with UPenn just yet. 

After the tour we took a quick bite to eat and went on our way back to D.C. The trip this time was the total opposite of the one before. This time, it felt like a long time before we arrived back. Also, it was pretty hot inside the train. For some reason the cold air did not reach the seats in the back. Anyway, once we came back to D.C. we headed out to the Lincoln Memorial and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Both were beautiful and majestic landmarks and I am glad I got to visit them before I leave D.C. tomorrow.

As our stomachs began to growl, we all agreed it was time to have dinner. After a long walk around the area we finally settled on a small sushi place. Unfortunately, I think sushi tastes gross. However, the sushi here was actually not that bad. I definitely don’t regret going there for dinner – it really filled me up.

Now that our week of college exploration is over, I am excited to begin our programs at Vanderbilt University. I know my Pharmacology class will be a blast – I can’t wait!

One Adventure Ends, And Another Begins

A slide at the Lincoln Memorial

Not many girls my age can say that they have had the privilege of traveling to several different cities in different states to tour some of the country's most prestigious universities all in the span of a week. I still can't believe that I rode on a plane three times, visited several major cities in the southeast, and toured Duke University, Georgetown University, and the University of Pennsylvania all in a week. All those tours and dinners have helped me to narrow down my once broad options for university, and now I have a better idea of which schools I like and which I don't.

Today my cohort and I woke up at 5 o'clock AM to visit the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. We groggily made our way to the lobby and took a taxi to the Amtrack station ( which looked more like a mall than it did a train station). I was excited to ride on a travel train for my first time, but sadly it was nothing too special; it was just a fancier version of the BART train service  back home. 

Chris and I on the train to Philadelphia

We were pleased to discover that Philadelphia was not as hot as Washington DC. We walked a short distance to the university campus and looked around for Cameron, a fellow ILCer as well as our peer at Pinole Valley High School. However, he had class and we were going to be busy learning about the university. 

The information session was similar to the previous ones we had; the admissions officer for UPenn talked about the history of the school, the various programs and schools the university offered, SAT statistics, and the admissions process.This admissions officer spoke with more conviction than the one at Georgetown, but she was not as jovial as the one at Duke. She answered questions from the audience for a majority of the session, which I enjoyed because many of the questions asked were ones I had flowing in my head as well. By spending more time answering our questions than spewing out facts about the school, she made the session feel more candid and personal. 

After the information session we had a tour of the campus. Our tour guide was, once again, better than the one we had at Georgetown, but still not as friendly as the one we had at Duke. However, he was still a very good tour guide even if he was a little more distant than our Duke tour guide. He answered all our questions thoroughly, gave us interesting facts about the university, and talked about his own experience and that of his friends. He kept us all interested in him and distracted from the heat by sneaking in subtly jokes here and there while he talked. 

On the train ride back to Washington DC I began to think about the past week and my experiences at each of the three schools we visited. I learned a lot of very interesting facts about the University  Pennsylvania, and I loved all the history behind the school. The campus itself is also very beautiful; there is a good mixture of tall trees, historical buildings, as well as newer ones. However, despite all of these positive attributes, I found myself comparing everything to Duke University. Although I liked UPenn much more than Georgetown, it still could not compare to Duke in my eyes. I did not get the same feeling from UPenn or Georgetown that I did from Duke, which tells me that Duke is more my type of school. 

We ended our very busy ( and long) day by relaxing a little and exploring DC for one last time. We visited the Lincoln memorial and saw a man propose to his girlfriend there. Then, we went to the Martin Luther King Jr. center afterwards. We finished off the evening by grabbing a quick dinner at a sushi place and reminiscing about the first time we were interviewed to attend Vanderbilt as ILC ambassadors.

Chris, Myself, and Abraham Lincoln

The Lincoln Memorial

My delicious Chicken Teriyaki dish for dinner.

Today one series of adventures and discoveries have ended. Tomorrow, however, we leave for Nashville and then the next day we move into the dorms for Vanderbilt. I am nervous about my classes and meeting new people, but I am also incredibly excited. One adventure ends, and another begins.

I saw a dragon at Philadelphia

Our train back to Washinton DC was twenty minutes late, so we took pictures to pass the time.