4. The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 1994 to May 1998
I was drawn to Penn ever since I was in seventh grade. My father and I ventured down to Philly from our home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to visit the University's Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology.1 I don't remember know why exactly we went of this trip but I recall shuffling into the Hall of Pharaohs and being enthralled, speechless in the presence of the magnificent pillars and Sphinx heads. The darkness, how somber and holy it all felt. I didn't know then, of course, that many of these pieces were plundered from Egypt, turn-of-last-century elitism and colonialism at their worst. Ethics aside and to be discovered later, I was impressed. So, when it came time to pick a school and, with it, in my mind at the time, determining my future, I naturally fell into Penn. When I announced my preference to attend Penn to my parents, they were wary; nervous about Penn's inner-city location, its high rates of crime, and gargantuan tuition. But, then again, Penn is Ivy Leagu...
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