TODAY’S THE BIG DAY. It is the day I have been dreading about and waited for painstakingly for the past six weeks. It was FRIDAY. FRIDAY, December 14th, 2018. Saying the date itself gave me the chills, much like the day of bad luck, FRIDAY the 13th. Or it might as well have been February 14th (Valentine’s Day) to make my first rejection more dramatic. My heart was pounding. The results are announced 3 pm Eastern time, which is noon here. I waited for the bell to ring for fourth period, signifying lunch time.
“What will I find in the end? Would I like the results? Was the hard work I put in enough? Will I be overjoyed, or will I be disappointed?”
Pulling out my phone, I slowly typed in my email and password, my fingers trembling with every tap as my friends chatted out loud and betted on my fate. This is it. The moment that I, my friends, and family have been waiting for. I opened up the electronic mail, my eyes rapidly darting towards my name and the first word. I read it over and over almost a dozen times to make sure my eyes did not deceive me, knowing that everyone is watching and waiting for me to spill the beans. I can hardly believe it. “Congratulations!” The first word that met my eyes. I read a few more words. “You have been accepted into Johns Hopkins Class of 2023!”
The next few moments were easy to remember but hard to recollect my thoughts, as all I was suddenly attacked by a torrent of cheers and shouts of congratulations that my friends screamed at me, to the astonishment and shrieks of awe my parents sputtered at the other end of the phone. I have done it-Johns Hopkins University-all those years of hard work, stress, and sleep deprivation have finally brought me the day of a bountiful harvest. One of my friends joked around that I will abandon the friend group, and I shrugged it off and laughed. Another told me that I looked to some extent dumbfounded, or maybe a little too stiff and serious. I laughed it off, saying I was just still shocked from what I just discovered and that I will feel more thrilled and beyond content during the weekend. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Although I received this wonderful news, I couldn’t help but feel an upsurge of other mixed feelings bouncing around in my train of thought. A new series of questions sprang up, ones that felt sharp and hard no matter which angle I asked myself. I will be facing a new, much more competitive learning environment with some of the most hard working and accomplished students from all states and other countries. Will my hard work be considered ‘enough’ there? Or a better question is, will I still excell in my major there, just as well as I am doing in high school now? Moreover, Johns Hopkins University is at Baltimore, Maryland. Will I be able to survive the very different climate of Maryland? I will be leaving California, the state that I have lived in my 17 years of existence. I will be leaving the realm that I understood too much all these years. I will be leaving my warm family and close friends. I will be leaving everything behind except memories of the laughter, fun times, and support that I had with them. Although a dream became a reality, I can’t help but notice how bittersweet this moment would become. Although I won’t
be graduating in for a couple of months, these thoughts made me fancy as if I will leave in a few
weeks.
Thinking about these questions and uncertainties has made me realize that I am going through molting. As I look back, I realize that this marks a new stage of my life, and that I will eventually overcome these challenges, just as I did before in high school. Even though the reality of leaving is bitter but temporary, the memories I keep are sweet and lasting. I’ve realized that new beginnings are not all that frightening so long as I stay positive and true towards myself. Whether I’m anxious or not, I am going to have to face my new horizon and set my goals/achievements at Johns Hopkins. I am not afraid. I will embrace this opportunity. Johns Hopkins, I am ready for you. I’ll see you this fall of 2019.
Thinking about these questions and uncertainties has made me realize that I am going through molting. As I look back, I realize that this marks a new stage of my life, and that I will eventually overcome these challenges, just as I did before in high school. Even though the reality of leaving is bitter but temporary, the memories I keep are sweet and lasting. I’ve realized that new beginnings are not all that frightening so long as I stay positive and true towards myself. Whether I’m anxious or not, I am going to have to face my new horizon and set my goals/achievements at Johns Hopkins. I am not afraid. I will embrace this opportunity. Johns Hopkins, I am ready for you. I’ll see you this fall of 2019.
57 comments:
I love it! The energy coming out from reading this piece, I felt the excitement which truly grabbed my attention. How devoted you were, what you went through and the levels of stress i felt as I was reading. The feeling of wanting to know what happened next, how you and those around you reacted made me want to know more and more! Reading as your dream came true being accepted in was pleasant!
Mason, Congratulations! I am so proud of you and you deserve this more than anyone for all the hard work you put into your studies. You expressed your feelings of anticipation and nerves exceedingly well. The way you expressed your inner thoughts, through imagery and questions, really gave readers a sense of how you were feeling that wonderful day! Again, I am so happy for you! Good job!
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS, again! I am super glad that your last four years of hard work got paid off at the end! I can feel the intensity of your emotions when I was reading your narrative and hope I will receive the same results in March. I am 200% sure that you will continue excelling in Johns Hopkins in the next four years and beyond, and you will be the best biochemical engineer out there!
-Xiaoqing Zhong p.4
This was a great read Mason and I'm so happy for your acceptance. Obviously most people haven't been accepted to college yet so I like how yours is kind of a sneak peak of future experiences. I know that I'm quite nervous and anxious about college acceptances and, though I'm not staring at a screen just moments away from knowing, I think I can still relate to your anxiety before you found out. Your story telling and deliverance of the emotions and thoughts that you felt was relatable and well written; you did an amazing job at conveying them.
First off I would just like to say congratulations! Ah, such a nerve-racking feeling most of us must prepare for in the very near future as well! Great piece of writing and don't worry YOU GOT THIS! -Joshua Kidwell
Mason, I really enjoyed your blog. I loved how relatable it is for all of us seniors. Everybody feels that anxiousness while waiting for their emails or letters! Your blog really summed up how we all feel or felt during college application season. Great job!! - A. French
Congratulations Mason! Your hard work has definitely paid off and your rollar coaster of emotions was portrayed very well. When you were anxious, I also felt worried for you and your joy was felt throughout your friends and through the reader. Once again, congrats and I hope you succeed and go even farther with your studies.
Hi Mason! You did a wonderful job with descriptive detail to make the reader feel the same emotions of anticipation and apprehension. I felt second-hand nervousness reading your narrative about opening your acceptance letter to the university! A huge congratulations to you and your acceptance to John Hopkins, you totally deserve it! :)
Mason, this piece was so beautiful!! You portrayed the anxiety that comes with waiting for acceptance letters perfectly. I am so happy for you because you truly deserve this! The imagery in this piece was depicted so beautifully that as I read your piece, I became ecstatic as if I was the one that had gotten accepted into John Hopkins University. Congrats Mason!! You have a bright future ahead of you. -Chimi Nebedum
Congratulations again on your acceptance to Johns Hopkins and your commitment there. I truly hope you cherish the memories you had all these years, including me being one of your good friends in Middle School and High School. I am truly honored to call you a brother and knowing we'll depart after graduation with you leaving almost everyone behind, keep running towards your dreams and continue to work hard no matter the costs!
First off, congratulations on your acceptance. Second off, this hit very close to home because most of us are going to experience this change of leaving or just change in general. I like your piece because it is very relatable but very eye opening to the fact that others feel this way about college.
Good job and congrats ! I liked how you described all your emotions leading up to the nerve racking moment and how you described all your thoughts after too. I found it relatable and I agree that it can be a bitter sweet moment. A new chapter in our life opens and we just have to keep a positive out look and embrace it.
Mason, congratulations on this extraordinary accomplishment. You're the most determined and humble individual I know and I can't wait to see you better this world. Secondly, your blog was very entertaining and your constant use of questions displays both your excitement and nervousness. Your piece is very relatable, as other seniors reading this may also experience this heart-pounding emotional roller coaster as college acceptances approach. Brilliant!
Mason, Congratulations again on your acceptance and thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. Many of us will be having this same experience very soon and will be feeling the same emotions that you felt. I really enjoyed your account. Thank you.
Congratulations! Getting into John Hopkins is absolutely amazing! You displayed the struggle of getting accepted into a prestigious college so far away really well; it truly sounds bittersweet. Despite the bitter though, I’m sure you will be able to strive in any environment you are in despite the distance from the familiarity of home and friends. Once again, congrats and amazing job!
As expected of Mason Song! Once again, Congratulations on your acceptance to your dream college! What I enjoy about your reflection was how you were able to express the happiness you felt on the day you found out despite the fact that you really did look emotionless when you announced the news during lunch. The anaphora that you included in your reflection also reminded me that even one of the most serious people I know would feel a bit melancholic leaving his family and friends behind to pursue their major at Baltimore, Maryland all by himself. Although you admitted the bitterness of leaving, I appreciate how you still concluded on a positive note. Much applause to you!
Good job with the written piece and Congratulations on getting. The questions that you are asking I've asked myself and like you said its a new "Horizon." Go on and do great things! In the writing I liked how you used suspense to tell the story. Very good job well done.
Astonishing work Mason, you've worked hard to get this far and I'm very happy for you. You've captured the feeling of uncertainty and anxiety that comes to many a high school senior when waiting for college admission results. i especially liked your use of wordplay in the first paragraph, when you said that your letter may as well have came on Valentine's day, and that it would've made for a very dramatic rejection. Overall, congratulations and I wish you the best when the day comes that you have to pack your bags and fly out to Baltimore, Maryland.
-Lance Anthony Aquino
Mason, I loved this piece because I could feel the excitement behind your narrative and it made me excited for you! Also, congratulations on your acceptance, that is so amazing. I'm so glad you chose to write about this because it made me reminisce on my own acceptance. Great job on your piece! -Amber Rich
Congrats!! That is such an amazing accomplishment, and I'm glad you took the time to write about it. Your energy is so positive and heartfelt, it truly warmed my heart. This piece was very inspiring. The details of every minute leading up to the big moment and even after are very genuine and true. I loved how you managed to write about your excitement, but also the nervousness you felt dealing with such life changing news. A great piece, and I wish you the best as you pursue this success!
Congratulations on your acceptance to John Hopkins University. I really like the positive energy and tone through out your story. It is a great moment that you will never forget. This opens up about how other high seniors can feel, and there feeling when they get accepted. Thank you for sharing your story.
Congratulations! I love how descriptive you were in describing your feelings on that day. You expressed your feelings of anticipation & nerve very well. This was really great and kept me interested the whole time.
Hello Mason! I know I've said this to you before but I want to say congrats again to making it to John Hopkins and also writing a well crafted personal reflection. I really liked on how you showed us your emotion and thoughts when receiving the letter. The way you used vivid detail such as when you described your emotion like your "heart [was] pounding" was amazing it gave the audience an insight on how you truly felt. Furthermore, I really like on how you describe your "mixed feeling" toward John Hopkins but at the end still remain optimistic. It showed us how your still be optimistic despite the "mixed feeling. " Overall, this a great and well written reflection and congrats!
-Jean Andre Molina Period 4
Mason, congratulations on your acceptance! Because of the emotions, feelings, and thoughts you wrote within the piece, it was easy to understand, and get excited as well! It is such an exciting event to go through and not many can relate about getting into Hopkins, but to also write about the sad moments that will follow as well, made it easy to understand as many of us will be experiencing this realization in a couple months. Good job writing this piece, and congrats once again!
Congratulations Mason on your acceptance! I loved the way you had described your emotions and feelings at the time you received the email, as well as later on in the day. I loved the questions you added to your story because it added effect and suspense. This topic is perfect and relatable for seniors going off to different places because we are all going to be entering such a different world out there. Yes it can be scary, but I loved how you were able to take that fear you had and turn it into excitment for the future.
Mason, I am so proud of you! Congratulations!! The way that you described the exact moment, as if we were there was amazing! This was a relatable piece that many others are experiencing right in this very moment.
Congratulations Mason! Although I was late on finding out you had gotten accepted into Johns Hopkins, I am very glad you decided to write about your experience. I enjoyed how it was in the first person point of view so we could visualize how you felt. I'm very proud of you Mason, even since middle school, and I know you will go to far places.
Congratulations Mason!! You deserve it! I really liked how you explained what was going through your mind and being anxious to see the results. I felt anxious for you. I'm glad you shared your experience and all the emotions you felt. Great job!
Congrats Mason! I loved how you were not afraid to show us your emotions in a personal matter.Getting accepted into college is a BIG matter because college is a way of setting our future for us. It is a way of determining who we will become and how we will impact other people.
~ Tanner Antonucci
Congratulations, Mason! I really enjoyed how you described the moment when you got your acceptance and the suspense you had when waiting for your acceptance email.
- Karen V.
Wow this was truly amazing! I was invested throughout the whole thing and felt like I was feeling those feelings along with you. Great job Mason I hope you have a great time at John Hopkins! -Sofia Canseco
First congrats Mason on your acceptance you deserved it. I can relate to you, because I was thinking to go to Texas and attend University of Texas. I had the same thoughts as you what will happen to me when I leave my friends and family. Then I realize that I should just live in the moment and go with the flow. Thank you for sharing your story.
I really enjoyed the build up in your story. Congratulations on your admission to John Hopkins. I can completely understand how frightening it would be to leave all that you are familiar with as you embark on your college endeavors. But, your change in mindset was universal advice that truly moved me: "I’ve realized that new beginnings are not all that frightening so long as I stay positive and true towards myself." Keep up the great work and enjoy John Hopkins!!
First of all I want to say congrats!!! I am happy you were accepted.
Also your writing is amazing, I can feel how anxious you were at the beginning to finally being excited and happy.
-Kiyla Nunez.
I loved the way you emphasized the panic and alarm in the beginning with the capitalization. Your questions and fears echo others around you and I really loved the way you paralleled being in your head and yet in the present at the same time. Congratulations man!
I loved the way you emphasized the panic and alarm in the beginning with the capitalization. Your questions and fears echo others around you and I really loved the way you paralleled being in your head and yet in the present at the same time. Congratulations man!
I loved the way you emphasized the panic and alarm in the beginning with the capitalization. Your questions and fears echo others around you and I really loved the way you paralleled being in your head and yet in the present at the same time. Congratulations man!
I loved the way you emphasized the panic and alarm in the beginning with the capitalization. Your questions and fears echo others around you and I really loved the way you paralleled being in your head and yet in the present at the same time. Congratulations man!
First of all, congratulations! When I got my first acceptance, I did not know what to feel. Now that i read your piece it’s amazing to know that other people felt the same that I did. It’s a big step and leaving behind what is familiar will never be easy. You did an amazing job in introducing the story and concluding it.
Mason, I clung on to each and every word while reading. You have a knack at captivating attention and never disappointing. I’m so proud of you for reaching this long awaited goal and only wish you the best during this bittersweet transition. Amazing job as always!
Oh my goodness! Johns Hopkins!! Wow, congrats Mason! That's huge! I'm so proud of you, ever since middle school you have always been one of the most dedicated and hardest working people I've ever met; all your hard work finally paid off! The amount of detail you used in this piece was amazing, I felt as if I was one of the friends with you as logged in to read your admissions decision! Just don't stress, you're so smart, I know you're capable of doing well at any university! You have a bright future ahead of you!
Mason, your piece definitely helped to emphasize how much effort and the struggles you went through in order to become who you are. This simple narration portrayed the tense and stressful aura that eventually turned out to be worth it. Obviously it's going to be very sad for many of your wonderful friends since you are leaving. Yet this is simply outstanding Mason. I wish you the best of luck and congratulations.
This was a beautifully written piece and probably the most expressive and inciting one I've read in a while. Although change can be scary I am confident you will overcome every obstacle that comes your way. Best of luck Mason!
CONGRATS Mason! This is a well written blog and experience! I felt as if I were by your side looking to see if you got accepted! that's an amazing accomplishment and I wish you the best of luck on your new journey! - jayleen lupian
Mason as your friend since 6th grade I am very proud of you and what the future has in stored for you. You were one of my closest friends in middle school and I hope you can keep growing and do big things. You are the smartest guy that I have met and I know you will fit well at John Hopkins, congratulations man. By the way if you need to get your butt whooped in tennis just let me know! - Eric Chang
Congratulations on your acceptance! John's Hopkins is a very prestigious school- I have no doubt that you will excel there. As for the piece you wrote, it's very well written and does a great job of reflecting the tension of waiting for acceptance letters and the euphoria of discovering you've been accepted. Amazing Job!
I knew you would do great things. The writing itself is amazing and shows your efforts and confidence really well. I could see through this writing why you were accepted. Great piece and congrats.
Mason!!!! I love the kind of energy you posses and the charisma. I found it to be funny when you said that February 14th could have been the day where you would have been rejected; displaying the cliché of lovers being rejected on valentines day. Overall, I like how anticipated you are to attend JHU and facing new horizons.
-Mayur Chhitu
I loved this so much Mason, very cool to realize what you were thinking that day and congratulations. You have a bright future ahead of you, Good luck.
Mason, CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You're such a talented person and that is definitely conveyed through your writing. Your piece managed to grab my attention within the first line and didn't loose it once. I wish you the best of luck on your journey!
-Brooke Leslie
This made me feel, and probably for others as well, a relatable sense of stress and that is greatly presented because of the easy flow of the words, making it a great piece to read. Overall, Congratulations for making it into John Hopkins, I've heard its a great university and hope you are happy with whichever choice you make. Good luck Mason!
Change can be incredibly daunting. I thought you did an especially good job with conveying that feeling of panic of inevitable change. Overall, really great piece and congratulations on getting in!
Congrats! The anticipation was killing me. After reading the word congratulations I knew from there it was all positive. Your deep description of how your friends and family viewed your reaction and emotions. Relax you are going to do great things when you get out there. Amazing job!!
Your detailed descriptions made me also feel nervous to find out whether you were addmited or not. It made me realize how hard leaving everything youre accustomed to may be, especially family. Good luck and congrats on getting in!
Wow mason! congratulations on Johns Hopkins! i am painstakingly waiting for such a letter of admittance but i sure hope it happens! It is a great university i hope to join in the 2023 with you. I can see it meant a lot due to the vividness of imagery you used to write this. - Adam Huizar
First of CONGRATULATIONS for your acceptance. I am really happy for you and you will do really great there. This blog was really descriptive about everyones emotion. Good luck for your future. ;) (Nufsat Khan)
Congratulations!!! I absolutely loved this piece. Your use of suspense was so nerve-racking, as I was sitting here waiting to see whether or not you would get accepted, I felt nervous right along with you. You did a great job of connecting emotionally with your readers. Keep up the good work :)
- camryn greer
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