An open letter to my mommy on graduation day:

Posted on by S

Mommy!

I did it!

I came this far and I only have a few bumps and bruises.

I’ve overcome everything that’s been thrown at me.

I’m here and there you are watching me graduate. Walk across the field receiving my diploma. I know graduation hasn’t started yet but I hope you get a chance to read this before we start walking out.

Keep an eye out for me. I’m the girl with the spring in her step that she learned from you, the kinks in her curls that grow like yours and yet so different, and the twinkle in her dark brown eyes that shine just like you.

It’s here. I am graduating. You have watched me grow and become an adult from afar, but I know you never missed a beat. I know you were always cheering me on and bragging about me to your friends and co-workers. I will try to keep making you proud.

Thank you for doing the best you could. I’ll always be your baby.

I know you’re going to cry so I won’t say don’t cry too much. Instead, I’ll come wipe your tears like you always have for me. I love you endlessly mommy

Love,

Your high school graduate

An open letter to my dad and stepmom​ on graduation day:

Posted on by S

Graduation is here and now I’m off to college for a whole new set of experiences.

As I’m growing up, I realize just how much you did for me. And, for that, I need to truly thank you – something I don’t think I’ve done to date.

Dad, thank you for telling me what I’m capable of. For giving me the support that I needed to build a dream to chase after. And for believing that I have the talent to reach my goals.

Thank you both for supporting every hobby I picked up and quickly put down and funding everything I wanted within reason before I got a job.

Don’t cry too much 😉

Love,

Your high school graduate

The time I didn’t get into BU.

Posted on by S

I didn’t think I would be this okay.

At 10:46 am this morning I got an email from Boston University Admissions. I had a gut feeling it was going to be a no, but never the less I opened the email and logged into my applicant link account.

I knew from the get go that BU was a reach and that I probably wasn’t going to get in but I was hopeful. Maybe someone would fall so in love with my writing that my SAT scores and class rank wouldn’t matter. Maybe they’d give me a chance. Maybe I was good enough.

“Dear Savannah:

The Board of Admissions has carefully and thoughtfully reviewed your application. We recognize your strong commitment to your studies and appreciate the time and effort that went into preparing your application. However, we are unable to offer you admission to Boston University.

Please know this decision was not easily reached. This year, Boston University received a record number of over 64,000 applications from exceptional students from around the world, making this a highly competitive year for admission to BU.

Should you remain interested in Boston University, you may consider the possibility of transferring to BU after two semesters of strong academic work at another accredited college or university. Each year, we enroll students through our transfer admission program, and we would welcome the opportunity to discuss this option with you.

Thank you for applying to Boston University. I wish you the best of luck in all your future academic endeavors.

Sincerely,

John C. McEachern
Director of Admissions”

However, we are unable to offer you admission to Boston University.

We are unable to offer you admission to your dream school.

Thank you for applying; try again next year. Good luck.

Let me make it clear, BU has always been my dream school. Yes, I love Endicott but, BU was always in the back of my mind. BU had a huge piece of my heart. I could envision myself going there and being happy.

But it also need to be know that though my eyes did water, I didn’t cry. It’s okay that I didn’t get into BU. It’s okay that there were people who were better than me. That just means there’s a different plan for me. My place wasn’t at BU and this is the worlds way of telling me.

Yes, I would have been ecstatic to get accepted but it’s okay. The universe has a different plan for me.

I accept the challenge.

-Savannah

A Change in Plans.

Posted on by S

First, let me start by saying Happy New Year and Merry Christmas. Let me tell you, it’s been wild. I applied to a bunch more schools, I get my license in a month, and I got a second job. Also I had a phone interview that I forgot about and wasn’t prepared for and it went alright, not great just alright.

Anyway, I’ve gotten more college acceptances and I’m still waiting for a bunch. At this point in my senior year I’m honestly chilling and letting life happen. I go on drives with my friends, stay up late on the weekends, spend money like its water then wonder why I’m poor. All the fun stuff.

But, here’s why there’s a change in my plans:

If you would have asked me in September where I was going to school in the fall I would have quickly said Massachusetts. No ifs ands or buts about it. I didn’t care where in Mass. I just had my heart set on going away for school and starting my own things and being my own person, and I was going to do that in Mass.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to do my life how I want, I just might not be going so far.

My top school (as of the past few months anyway) has pretty much always been Endicott. It’s in Mass. near Salem. It’s on a beach. It’s got the works. I love it. It’s beautiful. I could most certainly picture myself there for the next 4-5 years of my life.

Here’s where things get sticky. I haven’t gotten into Endicott yet.

While I have no doubt that I will, I am prepared in the case that there is circumstances where that no longer becomes possible.

That’s why my second choice is Montclair State University.

They have a great Elementary Ed program.

It’s close enough for me to commute but also far enough for me to dorm if I want (which I do).

It’s a safe second option and I already got in.

(I also have 11 other backups just incase plan A and plan B fall through).

MSU ’22 or Endicott ’22.

I guess we’ll find out in the Spring.

-Savannah

I did it. (College Chats #7)

Posted on by S

Anyone who knows me knows that I worried so much about applying to college. I thought I wouldn’t be accepted. That I wasn’t good enough.

I was so overwhelmed and anxious I thought I was going to die.

But I did it. As of a little bit ago, I officially applied to my last college. The colleges I wanted to apply to versus the ones I actually applied to is sos completely different and I couldn’t be happier.

I love all of the schools I applied to.

First, let it be known that I strongly suggest having someone help you narrow down your college lists who knows what you’re looking for and can really help.

Yes your parents will be a great help but a college advisor or guidance counselor knows what you’re capable of and what’s really a stretch.

I said I wanted a small school (2000-7000 undergrads, 10000 tops). I said I wanted schools in NY, NJ, MA, and PA. I have a 3.7 gpa (3.4 unweighted). I got a 1210 SAT (if you super score it). I changed all but 2 or three schools on my list.

My counselor was honestly such a great help and I probably wouldn’t have applied to college yet without him.

With his help I compiled this list:

Boston University (MA)

Skidmore College (NY)

TCNJ (NJ)

Muhlenberg College (PA)

Stockton University (NJ)*

St. Thomas Aquinas College (NY)

Western New England University (MA)

Endicott College (MA)

*Accepted

In the coming weeks I will write a post about where I get accepted and then on May 1, you will know where I’m going but for now farewell and good luck.

-Savannah

Is the risk worth the reward? (College Chats #6)

Posted on by S

You see, I was pretty set in not changing my college essay, but I may have had change of mind just a tad.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my essay. It exemplifies my love for blogging and writing and how much I actually care about what I do, but also, my teacher said there is a lot of risk involved.

By giving colleges a work so loose and lacking grammar and proper english, I hinder my chances of getting accepted to schools, especially prestigious ones like Boston U (is that prestigious? I’m not sure, but hard to get into none the less).

I care more about getting into college then standing out so I think I’m going to edit it a little bit. Not drastically, but like enough to sound smart but also creative.

As much as I’d love love love to submit my essay as it, I think it’s to my benefit to maybe try a little harder.

The risk may be worth the reward, but is that risk worth taking?

I’m not too sure.

-Sav

I don’t want to go to college… (College Chats #5)

Posted on by S

Well I do, but I don’t want to do the applying, getting in, deciding part. I just spend the last hour in tears because I feel so overwhelmed. I don’t know where I’m going or where I’m applying and I just want it to be done. I just want it to be over with.

I have absolutely no idea what I’m looking for. I don’t know what questions to ask. I just don’t get it. I don’t get the process. I don’t get the dumb essays that ask why I want to apply. I don’t want to do anything.

I was so excited now here I am in actual tears about applying to college.

Maybe I just won’t go.

-Sav

SATs don’t get any easier… (College Chat #4)

Posted on by S

I thought that just maybe the SAT would be a little easier the second time around, and in some ways it was, but in others it was just as hard and stressful.

Yesterday I woke up the earliest I’ve woken up in nearly 2 months and took my SAT. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to have taken it a second time before beginning my senior year, but at the same time, because it is summer my sleep schedule is a complete mess.

I practiced for this SAT a lot. I did so many practice tests and practice problems (especially math), and that honestly helped me so much. I 100% recommend that whether it’s the first or fifth time you’re taking the SAT. It seems like a lot, but just do like 10 questions a day and you’ll be so much more prepared than you would have been without practicing.

If I can give anyone any advice it’s to practice, practice, and practice some more. I promise it’s not as bad as you think it is. It’s like 10 or 15 minutes a day that help soooo much in the end.

Just like my last SAT in March, I finished the English sections super early. I feel like I was way better at section one than I was last time and section two was the easiest it’s ever been.

AND, because I practiced so much, I was able to finish not only the math with calculator with time to spare, but I also finished the no calculator section with a few minutes to spare and that is an absolute miracle. On both of my PSATs and my last SAT I never had time to finish section 3 (no calc) yet here I was this time finishing with extra time.

I guess in a sense this time was easier but that’s because I practiced like crazy.

Honestly that’s the only advice I can give you. Practice like crazy and hope for the best. Also, make sure you sleep like a normal person. That’s useful. Or you’ll be tired.

Happy Sunday 🙂

My Senior Project.

Posted on by S

As far as I’m concerned, my school does not do a senior project. I mean I’m happy that we don’t but at the same time I wish we did because it would be kind of fun in my opinion.

Anyway, yesterday I was cleaning up my room a little and watching YouTube videos (typical summer Savannah), and I got some inspiration. Recently I’ve had a fascination with bullet journals, but I lack the calligraphy and patience to ever be serious about it.

INSTEAD I’m going to document every single day of my senior year and my end goal is to have a journal full of doodles, rants, love notes, and anything that I think is important to my senior year that I will want to look back on.

It will essentially be a scrapbook with writings and drawings and random things. I’ll also document college things like days I finished applications and places I got accepted and rejected.

I’ll also HOPEFULLY be able to write random things in Latin since I’m taking a latin class online.

Will I do it all year? I hope so.

The only thing I haven’t figured out is how I’m sharing it. I’ll likely end up sharing just the best pages and spreads, but I’m not sure if I’ll do it all the day after graduation or random times throughout the year.

We shall see.

I will do most of the writing at home, but I have a 6th period study so I can do some things in school maybe. I’m not sure. I mean people know about my blog, but do I really want to be essentially scrapbooking? Not really.

Again, I’ll figure it out as I go. I’ll see what works and what doesn’t.

I’m honestly super excited to do this. I have a memory box, but senior year is important to me.

This is the year I decide if I’m leaving everything behind for Massachusetts or staying in the general area (NYC or Jersey).

This isn’t really a senior project, but it’s a project I’m doing my senior year.

That’s the same thing, right?

Happy Monday 🙂

*I somehow managed to write Saturday even though it’s Monday…*

My College Essay is more than just that (College Chats #3)

Posted on by S

Today inspiration struck and I wrote my college essay. YAY! To the teacher who reads this  when I get 100% plagiarized on Turn It In, now you know why, though I am probably going to tell you anyway. Hi, welcome to my blog. Feel free to tell other teacher friends that I got 100% plagiarism. That’ll be funny. On second thought, I’m not going to tell you that I already posted this. Let’s see how much problems this will cause come September.

Anyways, the topic I chose was: Describe a topic, idea or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time.  Why does it captivate you?  What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

I highly didn’t abide by it in like anyway, but it’s cool. I’m chilling honestly. I’m proud of my essay and I am prepared for my teacher to fail me for not really answering the prompt.

I mean I did touch upon the why and what questions, but the why wasn’t so obvious because I feel like the whole thing is the describe it and why and the what or who thing is a handful of sentences at the end explaining that I did this kinda on my own.

But without further ado, here is my essay…

I have spent the last three years of my life not only withering away on tumblr and YouTube, but building myself a safe place to ramble and rant and review and write and ramble some more. A place where I can criticize or praise books for no REAL reason. Side note: I’m not a certified critic, for from it actually. You probably shouldn’t rely on my reviews if you’re actually interested in a well thought out review.

Anyways, I’ve spent three years making my blog and writing and loving every second of it. TheOneWithBooks is a place where 431 amazing followers come to read ShortStorySaturdays, CollegeChats, book/movie reviews, and just random life updates. I have dedicated so many hours to making sure my blog is the best it can possibly be (even though there is plenty of typos and improper grammar, especially in terms of tense), but it’s not a chore. It doesn’t make me miserable. Writing, whether you read it or not, is my escape.

You have no idea all the time I’ve lost to writing posts that I never published. Stories I hate so much I’m embarrassed to share. But also, you have no idea how much love and time and dedication goes into each run-on sentence I’ve writen. How much fun I have and how much I laugh reading over what I wrote. How many times I’ve thought that no one reads, even though I see the views going up everyday.

Blogging about books and sharing my short stories and just writing for all of these people in general makes me lose track of time. And maybe nothing will come of it and maybe one day it’ll just be something I did in highschool to pass time, but right now, this blog is everything to me. I try my hardest to make sure that I post often enough to keep people coming and make them stay. And I try my hardest to stay true to who I am. And I try my hardest to make sure that everything makes enough sense. And I try my hardest to make something that everyone can find what they need in a specific moment no matter what it is.

Three years. 63 posts. 1,445 views. 431 followers.

I’m gonna be honest. It wasn’t easy. I lose interest easily in nearly everything. I even took 8 months off to improve my writing and regain my love for it. But, I’m proud of myself. I’m proud of how my writing has improved. I’m proud that I’ve stayed by my blog all this time. That people get excited when they get an email saying I post. I’m so damn proud of myself. I did this all on my own. I’m even working on buying my own domain.

I did this for myself and I did this for you. I did this for whoever reads this. This isn’t just some topic, idea, or concept that engages me. I built this on my own. I did this by myself. And I’d be lying if I said I turned to someone or something when I wanted to learn more.

I have designed this website and blog on my own.

But you. You made it a success. You made it worth it.

This isn’t just my college essay, this is my thank you. My thank you to everyone who takes time out of their life to listen to me ramble and rant and review and write and ramble some more with improper grammar, incorrect tense, and lots and lots of run-ons.

This is how I get my point across, sometimes in less words, more times in more. This is how I speak and write. This is my safe place. The ear that will always listen. The place where I write with no limit.

This is my blog.

This is my escape.

This is me.

Welcome. 

AGH! Did you like it? I’m honestly so in love with my essay. I feel like it is really me in a 650 word nutshell (exactly 650 words, common app isn’t playing like they strictly enforce that rule which is unfortunate because originally it was 703 words).

But honestly, thank you. Blogging has been an amazing journey. I cannot wait to see what’s in store.

Happy Wednesday guys 🙂