Well, I've actually lived in Clemson all my life, with Daniel being only a couple of miles up the road, and the idea of staying local has always been very appealing to me, even as a child.
College commitments
What were your other top choices?
Clemson was the only school that I actually visited. After my visit to Clemson I planned on taking visits to several other schools in both the ACC and SEC. But after giving it TONS of thought I decided not to take any more visits and decided that I really wanted to go to Clemson and that it would be a great fit for me.
What do you hope to achieve in academics and athletics?
I will be pursuing a degree in Health Science and will hopefully attend med school afterwords. Athletically, I hope to help the team as much as possible and excel in every aspect.
What did you experience during each visit?
I had a great time on my visit. I got to meet a lot of the runners on the team, see the athletic facilities, observe practice, meet with an academic advisor, and see some of the benefits that student-athletes receive, as apposed to regular students.
What would you recommend to others when choosing a college?
I would HIGHLY recommend that others should contact any school that they think they would like to run at, ideally summer after junior year or in the fall of senior year. Unlike football or basketball, a runner won't be given any offers until their senior year because those are the NCAA rules. It is unlikely that a lot of schools will reach out to you, so it is important to reach out to schools and let them know you are interested. In my case, not many schools contacted me, and the ones that did I didn't have much interest in attending. Since I live in Clemson, it was a bit easier for them to contact me and further communicate with me. Also, odds are that your number one/dream school won't contact you first, so again, just send a brief email with a list of your times and saying that you are interested to ANY school that you would think of attending.
What does it feel like to have the decision made?
It's a huge relief having made my decision now, as apposed to in the spring. It will allow me to not stress about my future during track and I can focus on my training and academics.
