If you had asked me what death was in junior high, it would have been staying in Montgomery my whole life. Actually it's a well known fact among my generation and the one before us. My high school economics teacher even urged us all to gt out as soon as we could so we wouldn't be trapped here for the rest of our lives like he and others had been.  Not that Montgomery is the worst city ever. It's filled with historical significance and great food, but everyone knows that the city is a dead zone for anyone looking to thrive in the arts. So when I discovered SCAD -Savannah College of Art and Design- I knew that this would be my one way ticket out. SCAD would be thriving with creative people, in a big city, and the Atlanta campus was  only 2 hours away from home. So you can imagine my excitement when I opened my inbox one night and saw a
"Congratulations!" email from SCAD.

I literally cried. I had actually gotten in!



 I quickly shared the news on Facebook I joined groups with other acceptees and started thinking about roommates and things I'd need. I couldn't help but daydream about how life would be living on my own in Atlanta.

It wasn't until I received my official welcome letter with all the information about my scholarships and financial aid that I knew I was in trouble. The money I was awarded didn't cover my tuition. And that was without even adding in my school supplies, books, housing, meal plan and other expenses. I thought about getting a job, but I knew that if I did manage to get one it wouldn't help with much. The deal was sealed when I got a call later from a school rep harassing me over how I was going to pay for school. Just like that, my dreams crumbled. I was depressed about it for a while, and that got even worse when I found out that I couldn't afford the other out of state school I was accepted into nor the only local university on my list without getting extra loans. Things were looking really down for me. As a last resort, I applied to a local university and was accepted.

I was still depressed that I had failed to get out. Most of my other friends had managed to go to other schools outside of our hometown, but I was still stuck. I thought about applying after them, but thought the whole thing was pointless. None of those schools really had what I wanted to do for a living, and the added cost just wasn't worth.
 Things weren't as bad as I had thought they would have been.  I did not major in the subject I wanted, but managed to get something close. I sill managed to find friends, a few of them who were interested in the same things I was and had the same career goals as well. SO even though I didn't go to my dream school,  I believe I made the most of my time in college.


If you can't go to your dream school, you have to remember that the world isn't over. We tend to put a focus on certain schools as if they are the only paths that will lead to success, but that's not true. Not going to Harvard Business School doesn't mean you won't be a successful business owner one day, just like not going to Julliard won't negate your chances of becoming a successful dancer. There are always more schools that are more accessible and still get you where you want to be in life.  And if your hopes are still set on the dream school, just save your money, improve your grades, build your portfolio, and reapply as a transfer at a later date. The world is not over for you. Keep dreaming. Keep planning. Remember that a school won't define your future.