The University of Westminster

“Julia,” your mother says, “you need to send your application to the University of Westminster. You are a senior and the year is almost over and you haven't sent one application to any college yet.” You knodd to let her know that you understand and then walk up to your room to finish the application. You don’t really want to go to the University of Westminster but all of your family who went to college did, and you will be the first girl in generations to go to college. My father and his father and his grandfather all went to the University of Westminster so your parents think that you need to hold up the family tradition. You don’t want to but there is no other choice, your parents are making you. It’s not that you don’t want to go to college, you do, just not Westminster. 

You finish the form and put it in an envelope. After walking down the stairs you put a stamp on it and walk it to the mailbox. You can see the mailman pulling up a few houses before yours so you know that you are just in time. You put the application in the mailbox, put the flag up, and turn to walk back inside. Then you realize something: your parents should not get to choose what college you go to. That is a major life decision and you should be the one to make it. It’s almost as bad as an assigned marriage! Not really but still. You rush back to the mailbox and grab the application. You put the flag down and walk back inside. 

“Julia, did you put the application in the mailbox?” You already feel really guilty. The guilt of lying to someone you love feels like a knife going through your chest. You give yourself a mental note to talk to her about not really applying to the University of Westminster when she's in a good mood and then you causly walk up to your room. 

Now you need to find a collage that you really want to go to because you're obviously not going to the University of Westminster. After close examination to almost every college in the world, you decide to send applications to Rollins College and UCF because the Florida heat and the beaches seem nice. On top of that both colleges seem really great. Rollins is harder to get into but that's why you also sent an application to UCF which seems a bit easier to get into but the good part is that it still has awesome classes. 

You print both of the forms after looking them over one last time. You put them both in envelopes and walk downstairs to find two stamps. You put the stamps on the letters and start walking to the mailbox when your mother stops you. “Julia, what are those? I thought that you were going to the University of Westminster,” your mother says with her tone rising. 

You tell her that they are applications to other colleges, in case you do not get accepted. Your mother replies by reassuring you that you will get into the University of Westminster and that these would not be necessary. You slowly walk up to your room looking sad but on the inside you are plotting a way to get these applications in the mail by tomorrow morning.

 “Good night Julia!” your mom calls from downstairs as you are walking to your room. You respond by saying goodnight and get into your room and shut the door. You plan to sneak out during the night, once your mother is asleep and put the applications in the mailbox. She should not be able to decide what your future is, you should. 

After a while the house goes quiet and you are sure that your mother is asleep. You slowly creep down the stairs skipping the step that makes a loud creaking noise when you step on it. As you unlock the front door, you are careful not to make any noise so that your mom doesn't wake up and get angry. Once you get the door open, you practically run to the mailbox, put the applications in, and run back to the door so that you can carefully open it and relock it once you are inside. You tiptoe as quietly as you can up the stairs, again being sure to miss the step that makes a loud creaking noise and bolt into your room. Once the door is closed you turn off the lights and lay down. “Finally,” you say outloud to yourself. You finally made a decision on your own. 

The next morning you waited all day for the mail to come and when it finally did you rushed over to your mother to tell her the truth because nothing could be done about it now. When you get to your mother you have a clear plan on what you're going to say to her about the applications but then the words decide not to come out and you end up talking about a completely different subject. 

By the end of the day, you still havent talked to your mom about the application to the University of Westminster. You go to sleep feeling very uneasy about not telling her and lying to her the day before. This did not sound like something you would do and it felt horrible. As you slowly drift off into your dreams you think of how you need to talk to your mom in the morning. 

This morning mother eagerly awaits the mail, which is odd for her sense she never does this. Once the mail finally gets here she told you that you should go out and get it. You are very confused and don’t understand why she is so excited, but regardless go out and get the mail. After slowly walking down the driveway with your mother eagerly awaiting at the door you get to the mailbox and open it. As you check your mail, you notice a letter that makes you stop in your tracks; an acceptance letter from the University of Westminster.