Justin Farrell ’13

My decision of where to go to college was a challenging one. The endless possibilities of big versus little, liberal arts or multi-discipline, private versus state, and of course city versus rural versus suburban versus Northern versus Southern versus East Coast and West Coast all conspired to create confusion and too many choices. Initially I spread the net far and wide to ensure the process of self-discovery and self-definition would be both illuminating and enriching.

Making Connections

I was first made aware of Dickinson by my parents; both of whom applied to attend when they were deciding on colleges. I met coaches through the soccer program, board members through friends and alumni by chance. Universally they all had wonderful personal stories to tell me about their experiences at Dickinson. Each person remembered fondly a professor, a classmate or administrator who helped along the way and contributed to his/her learning experience and personal development. It became more and more apparent to me that I too wanted an environment where I could have exposure to so much interaction with educators and classmates alike.

A Sense of Tradition

As my journey continued I found other things that attracted me to Dickinson. There is a strong sense of tradition that is celebrated and embraced here. This is best manifested in the tribute paid to the founding father Dr. Benjamin Rush. There is a sense of belonging to something special that begins to take hold when you talk with upperclassmen and hear their stories about favorite classes taken or a semester studying abroad. The school itself is the perfect size and the campus and surrounding area is beautiful. I have a serious interest in pursuing law and of course Dickinson has a renowned 3-3 law program that I will most likely enter into. Lastly, there is the chance to play soccer for a program that is competitive and successful.

Being a Part of Something Great

I am very excited to be a part of Dickinson and the traditions here. I hope that many other students will join me to be a part of something great.