There are not many things that will make me want to get up at 5AM. Getting to go to Disney World? Duh. Watching the Royal Wedding live? Of course. Having to work University of Delaware Decision Days? Without a doubt, yes!

Now yoUDecide!

Now yoUDecide!

The past two weekends I had the very fortunate opportunity to showcase my love for our lovely university to admitted high school seniors during our Decision Day open houses. These are the days I absolutely love and remain some of my best memories so far. I love being one of the first faces people see, screaming at them saying, “Welcome to Delaware!” I love when families come up to me asking for directions to Gore Hall, when they are, in fact, right in front of it. I love getting free UDairy ice cream at the end of the day because they had extra. I even love waking up before the sun and already being exhausted by the time current students wake up for brunch.

From working at parking, to giving tours of the residence halls, seeing the prospective students trying to picture themselves here was such an eye-opening experience for me. It is so weird to think that just two short years ago, I was in the exact same place as them trying to decide where I should go to school. Reflecting back at how much I was wracking my brain trying to pick between Boston College and UD Honors, I honestly do not envy high school seniors at all. It’s such a stressful time! How do you know you are making the right decision? What if you pick the wrong school? What will people think of my decision? These are some of the many thoughts I remember going through when making my final decision. Looking back on it now, I honestly wish I could go back to my Decision Day and shake my younger-self silly! I wish I could tell myself to listen to my family when they told me not to stress over the decision. I wish I could tell myself that UD will turn out to be the perfect fit for me and never second-guess it. And, I wish I could tell myself to make the decision I knew all along and pay that deposit as soon as possible!

I remember I finally made my decision to come to Delaware right after Decision Day. However, I was worried that people would think the only reasons I picked it were because I wanted to be close to home and because my sisters went here. Yet, those aspects were just like icing on the cake. I made my decision because I loved it here. It’s as simple as that. Main Street made UD feel like a small, quaint town, almost like Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. The campus was gorgeous and really looked like the quintessential college campus. But, what really made UD stand out from the rest was the Honors Program. I loved the feeling that it was almost like a school within a school, with a small community of faculty and students that made my transition from a graduating class of 55 girls to a grade almost 100 times that seem less daunting. And I loved the fact that Honors would allow me to challenge myself in many different ways, from academics, to leadership roles, to just having the reputation as an Honors student. Simply put, the Honors environment just felt right.

Thankfully, the second I stepped on campus that Decision Day two years ago, I knew I was home. Hopefully, these past two weekends, even more seniors felt the same way! And so, to those lucky admitted seniors finally coming to the best decision they will ever make: Welcome Home!

~Hannah Tattersall

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