The Journey to Admittance
In the college admissions journey, receiving an acceptance letter is a beacon of achievement, encapsulating years of academic dedication. For Karyme Longoria, this pinnacle moment came with her acceptance into Texas A&M University, a dream realized after years of aspiration and hard work.
“I am super excited to have been accepted into Texas A&M, which I will be attending this coming fall,” Longoria said. “Since I was younger, Texas A&M was my dream school, so being accepted into the major I wanted felt surreal. Since I will be graduating with my associate’s in science, I will be going in with most of my prerequisites done so I can apply for nursing school next spring.”
The college application process, often daunting in Longoria’s experience, proved to be a testament to the power of community and support, fostering a sense of empowerment and accomplishment among applicants.
“The college application process was much easier than anticipated,” she said. “But having friends who were all going through the same thing helped because we figured out a lot with each other alongside all the help we had from the college recruiters, the counselor, and our teachers.”
Despite the support, Longoria encountered challenges, particularly in securing scholarships. “The only challenge I encountered was scholarships,” she said. Many of the scholarships shared with us had to do with income, which often discouraged me because I did not qualify for them, or they were very popular, and the chances of me getting them were very low. I overcame this challenge by searching for scholarships on my own time that pertained to myself and were not as well known, increasing the chances of me getting them.”
Dispelling rumors about the college application process, Longoria shared her pragmatic approach to applications and backups. “That I knew of, there was not a certain number of schools we needed to apply to,” she said. “But we were told to apply to UTRGV, even if we did not plan to attend, as a backup in case things did not go our way later in the year.”
The moment of acceptance, often depicted as a grandiose event on social media, was a more subdued yet equally joyous occasion for Longoria. “When I found out I was accepted into UTRGV, I had just woken up,” she recalled. “It was not at all how I expected to find out. I thought I was going to find out the way you see on TikTok with your family surrounding you and everyone freaking out when they saw you were accepted.”
As graduation approaches, Longoria contemplates the transition with excitement and nostalgia. “I have mixed emotions about graduating,” she said. “I am beyond excited because I get to move on to the next stage of my life, but at the same time, I realize I will not be around the same friends and teachers I have been these past three years.”
Looking ahead, Longoria is focused on her goals and the future at Texas A&M. “A few of my goals that I have going into college are to stay on track, time-wise, and be accepted into Texas A&M’s nursing school,” she said. “Another one of my goals is to build connections when I am in college with as many people as possible, whether it be students or professors. Overall, I think I have sacrificed a lot these four years, so I just want to enjoy my time in college while still ensuring I do everything that needs to be done.”
Longoria’s journey from high school to college encapsulates the blend of excitement, anticipation, and the pursuit of dreams that characterizes the college application process, inspiring those embarking on this life-changing path.
