SHOUTING FROM THE ROOFTOPS!!!

IT'S OFFICIAL, I GOT ACCEPTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS!!!!

I've known for a few weeks that I probably got in. And I've had a hard time keeping my big mouth shut about it (in fact, I pretty much didn't). These days college admissions is much different than it was 10 years ago when I first applied to college. I an not sure if I will ever get a letter in the mail (like the good 'ole days), everything they've sent so far has been through email. And I guess since that's free, they can more keep you up to date and tell you things like you've been approved by the education college but now you just need to be approved by the graduate college, hence the unofficial word.

Today they sent me another email saying they had made their final decision and after a ridiculous series of steps over the internet, I found that official letter and found out that I was officially in!

Over a year ago I decided I wanted to go to grad school. And after a year full of: studying for the GRE, researching graduate school programs (I kinda had a specific not-so-common program in mind and researching schools is not as easy as it looks) and then finally doing the endless I-wanna-pull-my-hair-out-cause-this-sucks application... I got in!

In the end, I have only applied to one school. This program, "Math, Science and Technology" in the Curriculum and Instruction School of the College of Education, is the one I REALLY wanted. I have some fall back schools in case that one doesn't work out, but they are all online or just down the road and their application deadlines aren't until the summer, so no need to apply yet.

I haven't made a final decision on anything yet. It's going to be hard to walk away from a perfectly fine teaching job (that people seem to be loosing left and right these days) to go to school, rack up debt and just hope they haven't eliminated the career I want by the time I get out.

However, I can't live my life in fear of what's going to happen tomorrow. I have to live my life the way I best feel I should live it and hope that it all works out for the best in the end.

RIGHT???

Everyday I go through a yo-yo of emotions as I think about it all and the decision I have to make and where I'd have to move and how I'd make that move and what I'd have to give up and... the list goes on!

But I will for sure keep everyone posted!