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Early Decision Student Profiles

Dan Webb '12 | Karen Cascone '12 | Daniel Trapani '11 | Kaitlyn Sidorsky '11 | Scott Cote '11

Dan Webb '12
Rhode Island

When I started looking at colleges, I knew I wanted to be a business major, but I had no idea where to start looking. Bryant wasn't at the top of my list. It was one of the first colleges I visited, though, because I wanted to see what colleges close to home had to offer before I started visiting others farther away. As I visited more and more colleges, I realized that I was always comparing the facilities and curricula of the other schools to Bryant's.

I visited Bryant again in the summer for  the Discover Bryant picnic, and separately interviewed with the admissions office. I was quite pleased with the curriculum, especially that all students in the business school are required to pursue liberal arts minor and vice versa. I also liked Bryant's campus. I wasn't looking for a huge school, and Bryant seemed to be the perfect size for me. I was impressed by many of the facilities, like the library. Finally, I was happy to hear that an honors program was available. I simply began to fall in love with the idea of going to Bryant, and decided it was my number one college choice.
I thought hard about applying to Bryant through the Early Decision program. There were pros and cons to this option. The best part of Early Decision is that applicants receive their decisions in December. This can be a huge stress reliever, or it can help one prepare to pursue other colleges more aggressively if the Bryant decision does not go as planned.

There was also a very important financial aspect to this decision, because Early Decision is legally binding. I had to sit down with my parents and figure out if it would be possible for me to attend Bryant even if I received no financial aid.  In the end, everything worked out and I even received a scholarship!

Knowing that I would be going to Bryant in December was perhaps the best part of the Early Decision process. It was a huge stress relief! While I was watching my friends scramble to decide what school to attend, I felt quite pleased that I already knew that there was a place for me.

Being accepted in December also really helped me make friends because I knew where I was going so early. In fact, I started talking to other accepted students the same week I received my acceptance letter, and started meeting them in person in February! Ah, the wonders of Facebook and social networking.

Overall, I'm quite happy I applied Early Decision. This option may not be the best for everyone, though. If you're thinking of using this option, I would highly recommend visiting the campus multiple times. A personal interview is also a good idea in this situation. Ask to speak to some of the faculty in the areas you have potential interest in as a major. Also, speak to other students. If you can, speak to alumni. I found the Bryant faculty, students, and alumni, to be the most enthusiastic about their school and its growth direction compared to other colleges. I was able to go down the Early Decision path confidently, without reservation.

Good luck in your college search!

Karen Cascone '12
New Jersey

Applying early decision to Bryant was the easiest decision I've ever made. I remember getting a Bryant view book in the mail and sitting in the family room looking through it. I said to my mom, "I really want to see this college." The campus looked beautiful and I wanted to see it for myself, and I knew its College of Business had a strong reputation, which would be perfect for my intended marketing major.

My parents and I visited Bryant during my junior year for a Junior Preview Day. Sittiing in the George E. Bello center, I listened to a panel of Bryant students speak about their experiences. They all had great things to say about the college and how it felt like a community and not just a school. One girl told us how she had visited Bryant for the first time during a Junior Preview Day and how glad she was that she applied early decision. I fell in love with Bryant that day, and as I walked off campus, I knew it was the college for me. My parents told me to keep an open mind, but every other college I visited was nothing compared to Bryant; I knew it was the only school I'd be happy at.

When my parents and guidance counselor realized how much my heart was set on Bryant, they encouraged me to apply early decision. If you're positive that you want to attend that college, it's the best way to go. I sent in my Bryant application and waited in angst and nervousness until the day my letter was supposed to come finally arrived. I saw the mail truck coming home from school that day and got a good feeling in my stomach. I waited by the window for the mail man to come and ran out as soon as I saw him. When I saw the big envelope that had "Congratulations!" written on the front, I immediately burst out in to tears of joy. I screamed so loud and ran into the house to get the Bryant car decal I had been waiting so long to put on my car. It was a huge relief to know where I was going to college while all of my friend waited until May to find out, and being able to talk to kids I'll be going to school with so early was really nice.

Although I have no regrets about applying early decision, I have to admit that it was kind of boring while all of my friends were accepted to college after college. You only get that excitement once when you apply early decision, since if you're accepted, you must withdraw your applications from the other colleges you applied to. Some of my friends even used the money offered to them from one college in order to get more money from another college, which isn't possible when you apply early decision. Although applying early decision does have some disadvantages, the advantages definitely outweigh them. Applying early decision lets the college know that it is your top choice and that you're serious about going there. You know what your financial aid package is as soon as you're accepted instead of waiting, and your future is set way before your friends' are. If you know for sure that Bryant is the college you want to attend, I strongly recommend applying early decision!

 

Dan Trapani '11
New York

Looking back to junior year in high school, it’s amazing how daunting the whole college application process seemed. I remember going to my first college fair, and talking to what seemed like thousands of representatives about their respective schools. They were asking me about my interests and what I was looking for in a school. The truth was I had very little idea what I wanted in a school; the only thing that I did know was that I wanted to study business. That’s when I stumbled across Bryant University.

 

After hearing about Bryant through a friend who was a current student, I scheduled my first visit to the campus. When I attended the Bryant 101 session, I had the opportunity to hear both students and admissions counselors speak about Bryant, and I liked what they had to stay. Following the information session, I was given a tour by one of Bryant’s Student Ambassadors. The campus was absolutely gorgeous. Every student I saw had a smile, and everyone seemed to love being here. Additionally, all the technology on campus was state of the art, something that I valued highly. I immediately fell in love with the community that I saw, and Bryant quickly became number one on my list.

 

When I got home, I made a few notes about what I had seen, and when I continued my college search, I found that I never really felt as at home as I did when I had visited Bryant. When I started my senior year, I had already decided to apply early decision to Bryant. In my mind, I knew there was no where I would rather be, so there was no harm in trying. The whole process was made so easy by the Office of Admissions. In October, I interviewed with my admission counselor, and she was able to answer any questions that I had, and stayed in touch throughout the process. It was such a help to have such an accessible counselor, because it made the entire process run so smoothly.

 

When December rolled around, I was waiting anxiously for my decision. When I finally received my acceptance letter just a few days after my birthday, a huge weight was just lifted off my shoulders. I was going to be attending my dream school, and the college application process was over. What a birthday gift!

 

In retrospect, applying early decision was the best choice I made during my college search. I knew that Bryant was the school for me, and there was no sense dragging the process out. I definitely recommend it to those who have a very definite first choice. You’ll appreciate it so much more in the spring, when your friends are still waiting for decision letters, while you are already receiving information about the next four years of your life.

 

Kaitlyn Sidorsky '11
New York

Appyling early decision was something I never thought that I would do. Being the sibling of a sister who went through the college process before me, and who applied early decision herself, I thought that I would not be ready to make such a concrete decision. I started visiting colleges in the summer before my senior year and after seeing a string of colleges in one trip, Bryant was my last stop. I fell in love with Bryant University immediately and every step of my tour only cemented how much I loved it. By the end of my college search, I was so sure that Bryant University was the place for me that it was the only college I applied to.

            The early decision process was great. The application was pretty comprehensive, but nothing too stressful. It was a great feeling to be done with my application process before everyone else, so that I could not only focus on my studies, but I could also enjoy my senior year of high school. Another aspect that was perfect for me was that I knew whether or not I was accepted right before Christmas. Receiving my letter, and jumping up and down for my excitement about being accepted made it one of the best Christmases ever. I could sit and support, but not feel everyone else’s anxieties of still filling out applications, or waiting for a decision themselves.

Scott Cote '11
Rhode Island

In the fall of my junior year, I attended my first official visit of Bryant University as a prospective student.  I attended a Math Counts competition held on Bryant’s campus when I was in elementary school.  I remember thinking that even though college seemed light-years away (I was only in the fourth grade), Bryant was a school that I would look into attending.  The Fall Open House included the first college tour that I took as a prospective student, and I was wowed from the start. I found myself comparing every other campus that I visited to Bryant’s. 

 

            There were many reasons that I applied Early Decision to Bryant University and it is hard to choose the major factor that lead to me applying ED. Mainly, I wanted to stress my desire to attend Bryant by making a commitment to the school. I also applied Early Decision because I wanted to know my application status as soon as possible.  It was gratifying to find out in December that I was accepted to the school that was my #1 choice, while most of my friends were still filling out applications and waiting until the spring to find out where they were accepted and decide where they would attend college.

                As a Student Ambassador for Bryant, I come into contact with a lot of high school students who were in my position only one year ago. I not only tell them how much I love Bryant, but I also tell them how sure I was of my choice, and the very positive experience I had with Early Decision. Not a day goes by that I regret the choice to come to Bryant, or applying through the Early Decision Process.