Opening an email letting you know you’ve been accepted into the organization you’ve been waiting to hear from is one of the most exciting feelings. I experienced that excitement last Tuesday when I opened the email decisions for USC Troy Camp. Troy Camp is an incredible organization that works with local elementary schools and kids in the nearby communities. I had heard about Troy Camp from friends who were already involved, and the work that Troy Camp does is very important to me. It is a competitive application process, with many personable and qualified applicants. It is an honor to be invited to join the Troy Camp family, and I can’t wait to start!
The application process for any organization or program can sometimes seem daunting, especially if there is a longer applications or several rounds of interviews. During my first year of college especially, I was intimidated by seemingly arduous applications when I thought there was only a slim chance that I would get in. This was not the best way to look at the situation, and since then I’ve looked at it really differently. Last year (which was my freshman year), I didn’t apply to anything because I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to get involved in or even how to go about finding options. My spring semester, I went to the involvement fair which gave me a much better idea of what I may want to be involved in. I also attended several information sessions which are an even better way to see if you can imagine yourself as part of an organization. The next step for many organizations is actually applying, and I think it’s really important to think of it as, no matter if you end up getting accepted, it’s a great learning experience and really good practice for future applications. The first few interviews I did I was less confident in my interviewing skills and had had very little experience actually interviewing for anything, and it was nerve-wracking. This feeling also could have been assuaged if I had attended some of Viterbi’s programs like mock interviewing practice and application practice. I’m finally taking advantage of these programs like I should have been all along and am attending a resume building workshop next week, which will very helpful. Anyway, all of the practice that I had interviewing and the confidence I gained really helped me feel much more comfortable the next time I interviewed. I highly recommend that you apply for as many things as you want to, because either you’ll get really great news or you’ll gain valuable practice for next time. When you do get accepted into something you put a lot of dedication into such an incredible reward, and definitely may not come easily.
I applied to several different organizations, got rejected by some of them, but also have been accepted into amazing groups that do incredible things! While it may seem intimidating to apply, or scary to get rejected, it’s worthwhile in the end!
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