January Admissions - Student Testimonial

Open Letter to January Accepted Students

Congratulations on your acceptance to Dickinson College. My name is Sam Rosmarin ‘08.  I have a self-developed major – International Conflict Analysis and Resolution.  My fall semester this year was in Tanzania and I’m currently in London for a semester studying at the School of Oriental and African Studies.  In 2004, like you, I received a letter informing me that I had been accepted to start in the spring after my senior year.

Because I loved Dickinson when I visited and felt confident that I’d be happy here, the letter simultaneously gave me joy and broke my heart. The idea of starting a semester late was a daunting prospect. I had little idea of what I wanted to do during the nine months of down time before college, and I was unsure how I would adapt to being thrown into an intimate and competitive environment midyear. Although I got into other schools of comparable quality to Dickinson, I picked Dickinson because of its commitment to international awareness and global integration. I found it easy to disregard the initial disappointment of coming late because I was confident Dickinson was the place for me.

I found that keeping busy over this down time was essential to my happiness and success once here. I volunteered for John Kerry’s presidential campaign over the summer and full time in the fall. I also took three classes before I came here: one in the summer and two in the fall. I recommend having at least two classes to transfer so that you graduate on time. These classes can be from AP scores, community college, or extension school. I would, however, check with Dickinson before you sign up for these classes to make sure they will transfer.

Once you find what you want to do over those months, you can relax. The transition into college in the spring isn’t that different from entering in the fall. Yes, it was a little awkward at first, as I knew my roommates and the people in my orientation, but after a week, or two I was in full swing. I joined three clubs, practiced with the tennis team with the hope of a full tryout the following year, and attended countless cultural events. I was elected vice president of the Model United Nations club on campus. The other students who came in the spring had similar experiences. They all fully integrated into the community. If you visited any time after the first two or three weeks, there would be no way to tell Januarys apart from the rest of the student body.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding January entrance into Dickinson. My e-mail address is rosmaris@dickinson.edu. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or just want to talk to a fellow January.

Sincerely Yours,

Sam Rosmarin '09