Mario - Cal Poly Pomona - Class of 2014

I have wanted to become an architect since I was little, but I didn't know it then, of course. I was always constructing ships, houses, and secret layers out of Legos or building blocks. It is a field that just fascinates me.

Building a college list by design

For me, the biggest part of selecting a college was what I wanted to do after college. When I went into high school I thought I wanted to be an engineer, so I signed up for a drafting course. It came easily to me, like I had been doing it for a long time. Then I took an architecture course and found my true calling. It is still technical but more creative and artistic. I figured in this career I would be challenged but I would also enjoy every day. Isn't that everyone's dream?

Honestly, at first I wasn't looking for much besides a great architecture program. I found the magazine Architect and its rankings of undergraduate architecture programs. From this list, I chose Cornell as my first choice because it was highly ranked and New York is a state that intrigues me. Cal Poly SLO and Cal Poly Pomona were my second and third choices because they are highly ranked and I hoped to stay in California if I did not get into Cornell. I chose Berkeley because my friend had told me they have a good architecture school. I chose University of New Mexico because I was sure I would get in, and I liked New Mexico when I lived there years ago.

An eleventh hour decision, a disappointment, and an interesting choice

I was shocked when top-ranked Cal Poly SLO rejected me. This broke my spirit, but at the same time it was reassuring to know I made the right decision not to apply to Cornell. (At the eleventh hour, I changed my mind due to the potential cost.) If I didn't get into Cal Poly SLO, I surely would not have gotten into Cornell.

Some might be surprised I chose Cal Poly Pomona over Berkeley. So why did I? My architecture teacher highly recommended its architecture program as very reputable. As I continued my research on Berkeley, I decided that Pomona actually has a better program for me.

My ups and downs

My admissions experience was filled with struggle, especially concerns about the cost of applying to numerous colleges. I filled out the entire Cornell application, wrote their essays, and arranged to send them letters of recommendation. But when I was ready to submit the application, I just couldn't ask my mother for the $70 application fee. The real dilemma was that I was afraid I would be accepted. I felt the tuition and living expense would be out of my league.

What I learned

As college applicants, we must be smart and think reasonably about what we can afford and our chances of acceptance. CollegeData really helped by giving me a vast supply of information on the colleges I selected, including my chances of acceptance.

I wish I would have taken advantage of applying for an early admission. An early decision gives you that extra chance to apply somewhere else if your top-choice college does not accept you.

The money factor

I am paying for college partially with a grant and hopefully some of the scholarships I applied for. My mother is helping me out by paying some of the cost, but I must come up with the other half by getting a job and some student loans. My stepfather's income counts on my aid applications but he is not contributing. But no matter how much it costs, I will find a way to make it through college.