The Journey Here: Laura Curley

Like most high schoolers, I entered Grade 12 having no idea what I wanted to do. I managed to narrow down my possible careers to 23, which was not very helpful. I felt overwhelmed, like any decision I made meant closing all the other doors I had opened. I was in the guidance office nearly twice a week, rearranging my courses and asking if I was on the right track.

Eventually, a decision had to be made. I sat down and wrote everything I knew about myself. I wrote down what I was good at, what I struggled with, and what I loved. I showed the list to my family, asking them what they thought would be the best choice. My brother took a look and responded, “Ivey.” I thought he was joking at first — I had never shown an interest in business and wrote nothing related to it. “I’m serious,” he said, “just look into it, I think you’d enjoy it.”

I took his advice and began researching the program. I was pleased to see countless options for combined degrees, all with subjects I was deeply passionate about. I could pair my business learning with my love for law or interest in history. For the first time in my university application journey, I felt sure. A combined program meant I didn’t have to close any doors. I could learn more about myself before I committed to a career.

The next step was to write my application. I wanted to ensure my application encompassed those same strengths I wrote down; a love for my community and a passion for helping others. After looking at all the experiences I had throughout high school, I picked the ones that demonstrated these qualities the most. I felt that if I selected things that I genuinely enjoyed, writing about them would be easy and that passion would reflect through my words.

I chose to write my two essays about my job at my local library and my role as president for my school’s humanitarian club. Both displayed my dedication to helping my community, and I felt immensely proud to show the accomplishments I pursued during my time in them. I decided to use my other experiences to highlight these same qualities, writing about my experience in sports teams and outreach clubs at my school. All in all, I wanted my application to be as authentic as possible. To me, I found no purpose in writing about an extracurricular I did not enjoy because I thought it would look impressive. By picking my extracurriculars carefully, I managed to write a soulful application that reflected my strengths and that I was sure would help me at Ivey.

The written portion of the application was hardly the most difficult piece. Managing these extracurriculars and a competitive average proved to be more challenging. The best strategy for me was to manage my time well in advance. As soon as I was assigned a project or scheduled for a meeting, I would put it in my calendar. This way, I could see everything I needed to do. By understanding myself in all these contexts, I was able to determine how much time each commitment would need. If there were ever any conflicts, I always gave priority to my schoolwork, knowing just how important my education is.

Now that I am rounding up my first year at Western, I am almost as clueless as I was when I first applied to university, but I am more confident in that uncertainty. I have had many opportunities to explore my interests and push myself outside of my comfort zone. Whether it's joining a dance club or taking a sociology course, I’ve explored so many opportunities given to me. Each one has shown me more about who I am and what I enjoy. Although I love them all, picking which one I want to pursue has become clearer.

To those who were like me during their application process, I know that this decision is not your final one. You will have hundreds of choices to make once you get to university; you have plenty of chances to customize your degree. I am beyond happy to be attending a university that fully understands that changes happen. I am able to explore different aspects of academia I never considered and fine tune my options with a clearer vision.