Editor’s Note: In anticipation of the May 1 deadline for admitted high-school students to choose to attend the University, we asked student leaders on campus to tell us why they came to UT. Their responses will appear on the opinion page through Thursday.

I’m not going to lie; picking between my two top college choices, Baylor and UT, was one of the most difficult decisions of my life. Each of the two schools offered different aspects of what I thought the “college experience” should be like – Baylor offered a small-town feel, while UT offered an active social scene and a more liberal atmosphere that were the exact opposite of what I would find at Baylor. Regardless, picking between the two was no easy task.

I’ve often been asked what is the one deciding factor that made me pick UT, and I always find myself coming back to one thing that stands out in my mind: the students. Every UT student I’ve ever spoken to (even now, as a senior!) has been so welcoming, polite and, frankly, grateful to be a Longhorn. 

Fast forward, and I’m about to start my final year here at UT (though even thinking about it makes me slightly sick to my stomach). Currently, I’m the student director of the UT Guild of Carillonneurs, where it is my job to play and teach other students to play the carillon in the Tower — also known as the “Tower Bells.” In addition, I have recently started my third term as the fine arts representative in UT’s Student Government. 

Long story short, as I wrap up my time here on the 40 Acres, I know I’ve made a difference. That, I suppose, is what brought me to UT – the ability to get involved, voice my opinions, and make a difference in both my own experience and that of thousands of other students. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hook ‘em, and I hope to see you around campus next year.

Ferguson is a music senior from White Oak. He will be graduating next May.