Insight Alma Mater: The University of Texas at Austin

Welcome back to the Insight Alma Mater blog series! Insight College Admissions Counselor Jenny Bloom attended The University of Texas at Austin.  

My time at The University of Texas at Austin – I loved my experience there.

I remember even getting to UT was work. I grew up in Texas and there were two perfectly wonderful universities right next to where I lived—in the same town where I went to high school. My immigrant-Indian parents expected that I would choose one of those universities and live at home and attend college like I was supposed to, like my older sister did.  But I had other plans, I wanted adventure, I wanted freedom, and I wanted to have a “real” college experience. 

When I was accepted to UT Austin I was determined to go, and I spent the whole summer making plans to get to Austin even though my Dad was adamant that I would not attend.  Eventually, when the time came around to get to college, my Mom, Dad, and my younger brother took the 3.5-hour drive to drop me off at UT. 

I spent my first two years living in the biggest dorm (with its own zip code). It is (was) probably the oldest and grossest dorm in the country. But I loved it.  I shared a room with a friend in my first year. Had my share of drama- learned how to go through conflict resolution, hear hard things about how I was not easy to live with, and also learned how to change and become a better person and friend.

My second year in the dorms I had a random roommate, and we had the best time together.  We were totally different people, her growing up in a small town in West Texas and me growing up in a mostly Indian community near Dallas. My last two years, I moved into an apartment near campus. All of my roommates in college are still close friends of mine and each of them challenged and helped me to grow and be a better person.

I joined student clubs and organizations that really shaped my academic and social experience.  In my four years in college at UT, I got my first bank account, started a job to pay for my own phone, planned events and conferences for my student organizations, learned to study well, and figured out my passions. I became a Longhorn sports fanatic and still bleed burnt orange, Hook ‘em! Some of my favorite memories is going to football games in Austin during the season when the Longhorns went to the BCS National Championship and beat USC in the Rose Bowl.  

I wouldn’t want to change anything about my experience at UT.  Yes, I could have studied more and smarter, but the memories I have with friends exploring the city and eating Kerbey queso after a late night is something I would not trade for anything!

Jenny and Friends at her UT Austin graduation

Jenny and Insight student Kalina applying to UT Austin in 2017!