What I can say that is you are true to yourself, it will
follow as surely as night follows day that you will find a place that
fits you. (1) My place was at Williams - it matched me. Your place may
be there or elsewhere, but you will find it. As to your butterflies -
this is the first big decision in your life, and it's perfectly normal
to be nervous. You will probably look back with the wisdom of extra
years and laugh at your ignorance. I certainly have. But you have a
legion of classmates in schools rich and poor in the boat with you. All
of you will come knocking together. My hope is that you knock on all of
the doors that you would go through.
You asked if I had doubt. I did - I went on a grand
college tour and didn't like any of them. What school was I
to apply to? Into this breach stepped the marvelous propaganda that is
the Williams College Prospectus, but I was lucky to have been on their
list - and lucky that there was a school in the country that matched my
values. There was no promise of that. I didn't even know where Williams
was located in Mass - I thought it was near Boston and we missed it on
the tour. I very nearly ended up at Georgia Tech.
But that would have been ok, and so it shall be with you.
This is big - it's major - but it's only the start of your adult life.
There are many bridges but the crossing is universal.(1) - Shakespeare
