123 days since June 15. 123 days since my dreams of college gymnastics were within reach. 123 days of decisions and more to follow. Throughout these 123 days, I scheduled eight official visits: Illinois, UNC, Georgia, Auburn, UCLA, Iowa, Michigan State, and Alabama. I’ve been to seven, and once the clock struck September 1, my weekends were filled with nonstop action, stress, countless flights, stress, meeting numerous people, and more stress.
The change from recruits only being allowed to take five official visits to an unlimited amount came with hesitation from many college coaches I talked to. Many were shocked when I said I had eight planned, and I had to hope their patience wouldn’t run out as I made my way through each one.
In a perfect world, my decision would only come after visiting every school in the country with my choice remaining No. 1 throughout. Of course, that’s unrealistic. To make my process a bit more so, I wanted to make my decision without any regrets. I didn’t want to be left wondering, “What if I visited to this other school, loved it, and chose it instead?” Plus, we can’t forget that college gymnastics’ constant improvement in talent, resources, and added programs makes the decision much more difficult than in the past.
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