Olivia Mozzi

The college "type" I sought included these criteria:

• Not too big (less than 10,000 undergraduates).

• A strong psychology program.

• Study-abroad opportunities.

• A vibrant campus life, including clubs, opportunities to hear guest speakers and performances, and a cappella groups (my favorite music genre).

Visiting the schools and experiencing them beyond their glossy brochures made all the difference in my decision. I went to schools with snowstorms in March, self-described "cliquey" students and campuses with hill after hill.

I saw Wash U's picturesque campus in St. Louis on an unusually warm fall day, and the first students I met were friendly enough to give me an informal tour. Wash U became my first choice.

After spending countless hours polishing my application, I applied to the university's "Early Decision" program, hoping to receive my acceptance letter in January instead of April. When I was deferred to the "Regular Decision," program, I was disappointed, but remained optimistic.

Feeling superstitious, I sent additional materials to the admissions office and stopped wearing my Wash U T-shirts, worried that they would jinx me. When I received my admissions letter two months later, its contents were a thrill but a surprise: I was accepted! . . . as a January Program student.

That meant that I would begin my full-time studies at Wash U the second semester of my freshman year, because there is not enough housing for all the freshmen that the college wants to accept every fall, but the school expects some will leave after their first semester.

They accept about 40 students who will arrive second semester. JProgs, as we call ourselves, are in an ironic situation because we love Wash U enough to sacrifice a semester of the on-campus college experience.

I spent my fall semester doing an internship, working part time and singing with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir. I also took a weekend course at Wash U for January Program students.

Going to my dream school makes every moment of the admissions process worth it because, even after a yearlong relationship with Wash U, I keep finding new reasons to fall in love.

Olivia MozOlivia Mozzi, 20, is a sophomore psychology major at Washington University in St. Louis. She graduated from Lawrence North High School and was Y-Press member from 1998 to 2006.

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