In true Shimer fashion, I jumped straight into writing without giving you an inkling of why. I’m an early entrant, and being here is incredibly unexpected. You see, I was what adults like to call “precocious.” Personally, I prefer “ambitious.” In the fall of 2009 when I began my junior year of high school in Texas, I had a plan for myself in place. I wanted to graduate high school, go to the University of Chicago, continue on to a top tier law school, and become a prosecutor for the state of Maryland (yes, Maryland: it’s a cool state!).
As you’re seeing this entry at blog.shimer.edu, things obviously didn’t go as planned.
By December of junior year, I was exhausted. I was dragging myself to school at 7:00 every morning to learn subject material that I either already knew or had no interest in memorizing. My goals were to pass a myriad of tests (that I didn’t believe would show any indication of my intelligence) to gain entry into prestigious schools (that cared little about my actual comprehension ability and more about my 2070 on the SATs). I was quickly losing sight of the things I wanted to do and turning into little more than a walking test score.
In January, I took action. I had been getting letters from early entrant programs across the country, and after doing some research, decided to take the plunge. I applied to two schools: one solely for early entrants in Massachusetts, and as an early entrant to Shimer College. After interviewing at Shimer last May, my decision was made by the morning I left: I knew I wanted to go to a school where I was asked less about my ACT score and more about what I wanted to do with my life.
After three months of planning to come to Shimer and two months here, my plans have changed. I’m considering possibly becoming a part of Shimer’s B.A. To J.D. Program in a few years and taking law classes during my last year at Shimer. After that, I’m not positive about being a prosecutor anymore. My interests have turned toward working for non-profit organizations before beginning my own. Instead of working for the government as an attorney, I’m becoming more interested in working for an aid organization instead. Each day at Shimer compels me “to serve rather than be served” (a sentiment I once found cheesy). People change, often faster than their plans do. Though I wouldn’t have guessed it a year ago, Shimer is my safe haven-- I’m more than a test score here.
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