As a distance runner for more than half of my life I feel like I just rounded the final corner of a difficult race. The crowd is cheering, people are ringing cow bells and I can see the canopy of the finish line, but I am still not there yet. This is the point where it takes everything I have to get through the last mile. I will get there though, I’ve come too far and worked too hard not to finish with gusto.
Whether you realize it or not, we all – you, me, the Whitman Admission Staff and all the other applicants to Whitman – started this race together at the end of August. That is when the college admission cycle truly took hold for seniors. My colleagues and I hit the road and students started collecting and submitting application materials. It has been a long time since then, seemingly a lifetime. Applications have been submitted, materials reviewed and decisions are being made. The finish line is in sight.
For my colleagues and I it is time to put on our favorite Pandora station or “victorious” playlist, we are making final decisions and about to admit our class. For those of you waiting on us, hold on we’re coming. Check out the “Songs to Wait By” one more time and know that a “Songs to Celebrate By” is about to be released, as well as our admission decisions very soon.
You have all run a solid race over the last four months, really four years, and deserve a crowd of people yelling your name. Enjoy the last mile (these next couple of weeks), there is nothing like it, you went the distance and completed the college admission cycle. When you cross that finish line, do it with gusto – you earned it – raise your arms and claim your moment.
