[Seahawk]

I went to college in the Pleistocene Era so my experience will be of little help.

However, my daughter is just completing her freshman year at ASU and has done extremely well.

Her perspective was the following:

- She is a very accomplished equestrian, so that aspect was very high on her list, probably highest.

- Academics. She was NHS, etc. so she also focused on her prospective major. She won a number of local and state FBLA competitions as well. This is the only time I weighted in: The school had to have a solid reputation in business, which both my kids will major or minor in. Not their choich.

- Distance from home, Maryland, was not an issue. I frankly encouraged her to apply heavily out west.

- Site visit is imperative, which we did at a number of places.

- She applied to a broad spectrum of schools in every part of the country. It is odd how the process unfolded: She was accepted into some "stretch" schools and was wait-listed at one of her "safe" schools and bounced at another. There seemed little rhythm to the overall application dance.

Her decision frankly came down to her site visit at ASU. My wife accompanied her and they were both stunned at how organized and professional both the staff and student support were. We continue to be impressed. The horse program was the icing: she has ridden all over the PAC 10 and has had just a great series of experiences.

She did also join a sorority, something which surprised my wife and me (we are both non-Greeks). That experience has also been great. The sorority, Chi Omega, has a very good rep and Arden feels that it greatly assisted her college transition at a large school. Next year, as a soph, she will be a member of the directors board.

So, that's her experience. I frankly was much less concerned about which school she attended as I was making sure she understood what a privilege it is to get the opportunity to attend a university, that she must maintain her academic and personal standards, and that SHE wanted to attend.