So how did I come to Stanford?...Introducing me!

Hey there internet!  This is the story of how I got lucky...er....how I came to be a member of the Stanford University Class of 2016!
In the upcoming days and months, I will give a more detailed picture of some of the general information about admissions, admitted students, and my freshman year...so keep posted.  Think of this post as a bit of an introduction!

Who am I?
I am a recent graduate of a small high school in Minnesota.  I love school, showing dogs, 4-H, riding horses, acting, giving speeches, playing the flute, traveling, speaking in tongues, reading, hanging out with friends, and discovering why things are the way they are.  I'm a little bit out there, and I love to speak my mind (but I don't necessarily want you to be offended by it!).  Yes, I certainly am intelligent, but by no means am I a genius.

Academia?
At this point, I am almost entirely positive that I am planning on majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Molecular and Cellular Biology.  In about 4 or 5 years, I hope to continue on to graduate school to study Genetics and pursue a career as a research scientist.
I love biology, chemistry, learning languages, and making music.  I may need a minor or two to  make sure all my interests are covered...

Why did I choose Stanford?
There are very many specific reasons why I chose Stanford.  I will be sure to elaborate on those in the future, however I will give the short version of the story now.
I applied to 9 different colleges last fall.  Stanford was the only school that I didn't have a chance to visit before applying; it was the only school on the west coast, and we couldn't swing a trip to CA just for one college visit.  I really wanted to go to Princeton, but I kept my mind open, and knew that I'd be happy with wherever I ended up.  Around the last week of March, the admissions decisions started pouring in, and my prospects weren't looking quite as sunny as I'd hoped.  I was accepted to both of my backup schools, UMass Amherst (with a large scholarship) and Tufts, wait listed at Duke and Brown, and rejected to Yale, Vanderbilt and Princeton.  I was only waiting on Harvard and Stanford...it didn't seem feasible that I'd get in to either, so I decided as soon as I got their rejection letters, I'd commit to Tufts, and stay on Brown's waiting list.
A few days later, I got a rejection letter to Harvard....and my acceptance letter to Stanford!  I was in a giddy sort of shock for a week or so (I still don't think it has completely subsided...).  A part of me knew that it was just meant to be.
I knew I had to visit the campus before I committed, so I went out with my parents for Admit Weekend (a weekend set aside in April for admitted students to visit and stay on campus...another topic for another blog post!).  That weekend gave me a sense of ease, and I saw that I could easily fit into the Stanford community.  I committed that weekend.  I haven't looked back!
Ultimately, I am happier with my college decision than I ever imagined I would be.

I am sorry that I wrote a novel.  I forgive you if you didn't read all of it.
I will be writing a lot over the rest of the summer about my admissions process and what it's like to be a "ProFro" (prospective freshman) and a "FoShoFro" (committed student, incoming freshman).  I also plan to continue this blog as I start my freshman year.  I'm sure I'll have lots of experiences to share!
Look forward to future posts about admissions statistics, the application, interviews, what sets Stanfy apart from its academic peers (from a student's POV), admit weekend, the hallowed admitted students facebook group, Approaching Stanford, and much, much more!