with the students they would be staying with. I waited a long time only to finally hear “Jillie Cox” called. Embarrassed at the forthcoming awkwardness of having to explain the mistake to my host—Actually, my name is Lillie—I hurried up to the front of the Concert Hall, face flushed.

There I met my host and her roommate (shout out to Aleena and Gretchen if you’re reading this) and the other prospie they were hosting, Lindsay. I identified myself as Lillie, not Jillie, and we all laughed about the mix-up and headed back to their room in Goodhue.

Once Lindsay and I dropped off our things in our hosts’ room, they pretty much told us to do whatever we liked for the rest of the evening. We decided to meet up with some people both of us had met at the opening dinner and basically just had fun talking, and for the remaining unde- cided among us, decompressing somewhat from the anxiety of the big decision looming. Everyone I met that evening was so nice and open about his or her experiences. I had a moment in which I thought to myself, Wow, these are my people. I don’t know how well that sunk in, however, because I was still torn between Carleton and another college right up until May 1st when a choice had to be made.

It was probably a combination of gut instinct, location, and finances that resulted in my choosing Carleton, but the pivotal factor should have been the people element.

I didn’t know it then, but the fellow prospie I stayed with on 2nd Goodhue would turn out most important people in my life within the following year. Lindsay and I both ended up at Carleton and fell into overlapping social circles freshman fall. We became closer winter term before we decided to room together for sophomore year.