MEGAN WRAPPE

I vividly remember the day I ripped open my acceptance letter from Appalachian. I saw that the first line began with "Congratulations" and realized I'd just been accepted to college.

It was a whirlwind feeling. My letter from Appalachian was the second I'd received, out of six, and one of the more positive. I knew I had a place to attend school earlier than the majority of my high school classmates and that was a huge relief.

The overall process of admission, prior to receiving my letter, wasn't without its fair share of stress. For most high school seniors, your last year before college is stressful enough with AP classes and extracurriculars and everything else.

Add in applying to a handful of colleges with their own individual deadlines and different requirements and it's enough to make anyone's head spin.

But the process at Appalachian was easy. The First Connections section of the website made it possible to check every day to see whether all my application materials had been received and all my fees were paid. I could also view a projected time frame for when I'd receive notification of the university's decision.

For some time, my list didn't have everything checked off and that constantly worried me. It said my teacher letter was still missing - though I knew it had been sent along with my grades, one of the most essential parts of anyone's application.

By the end of the year, everyone in my high school guidance office knew my name. I constantly checked back to see if my materials had been sent.

But once all the check marks were present on my First Connections account, I could breathe a sigh of relief.

The Appalachian admissions process was extremely prompt. I applied at the end of January and received my letter by the third week of February.

Many of my high school classmates were placed on waiting lists or kept waiting for two or more months. That would've left me in pieces.

I was completely satisfied with an admissions process that lasted under a month - especially considering the number of applications the admissions office processes.

I received three more acceptance letters by the end of my college application process, but I chose Appalachian. And as I look back on it now, I believe it's the best decision I've ever made.

A few of my high school friends who went to other colleges ended up transferring within the year. After a year and a half here, I could never think about leaving.

I hope the high schoolers receiving their letters from Appalachian this month someday feel the same way.

Wrappe, a sophomore journalism major from Winston-Salem, is a lifestyles reporter.