Ottawa has two perfectly serviceable institutes of higher learning. Granted, their reputation is not as high as other academic institutions in the country. And she is not enamoured of attending university in Ottawa, in any event. Her mother had gone to University of Ottawa, as had one of her uncles. Her mother had been anything but impressed with the system she had been exposed to. And she changed courses, to attend Algonquin College instead, for a certificate in interior design. As for her uncle, after his first year at University of Ottawa, he switched to the University of Toronto to achieve his B.A. And he later received his Master's degree at University of Guelph, his doctorate in science from University of British Columbia. As for her older uncle, his entire academic education was at University of Toronto, including music and medieval history. And he is now involved in documenting the history of astronomy.

She is fascinated by the prospect of attending university in Toronto. That, it seems, is her mecca for attaining the highest degree of academic standing, to attend Osgoode Law School. Her focus on attaining a law degree is not new, it has been an ambition of very long standing. She is only 17 years old now, and it was when she was much, much younger, even before the onset of her teen years, that she had designed her future as a lawyer. A trial lawyer; she is interested in criminal law.

She'll graduate high school in the spring. But she and a group of her girlfriends -- high academic achievers all -- decided to make early application to the universities of their choice. All of her friends applied to small universities, the very thought of which seemed absurd to her. None of them, in any event, had law programs. She decided to apply to York, University of Toronto, Dalhousie, Simon Fraser and University of British Columbia. She sent applications to the first four. And has been on tenterhooks of expectation, and dismaying fear ever since.

The acknowledgements of her applications from the universities come automatically, but with each one her heart lurched, only to fall back again into disappointment, for none of them came with an automatic acceptance. Awaiting news in a state of agitated suspense is not only a teen emotion, but it is hugely enhanced, no doubt, but a teen's wish to go out into the beckoning, great wide world of opportunity and prove their mettle.

Two weeks after she submitted her applications she heard back from Dalhousie with an acceptance. She is conflicted about this. On the one hand, it is validation, on the other it doesn't represent her first choice, although she acknowledges that its law school is highly thought of, and graduates have an excellent change of being hired, another of her concerns. (Her mother's uncle, as it happens, is a professor of environmental science at Dalhousie.)

It fits some of her criteria, one odd one of which is aesthetic; the university dates in origin back two hundred years, its architecture is likely Romanesque, the 'ancient' look of the architecture and the stonework appeal hugely to her romantic sense. That the university enjoys high esteem is hugely in its favour; as is the fact that it offers the minor that she has targeted. It's relatively far from home, and apart from her love of her family, the geography that represents home is not one that has great appeal to her.

Toronto, on the other hand, does. Her uncle's advice is that a smaller university will result in more personal interaction, attention, and likely satisfaction. She rejects this, even though she knows from her extensive research that students have chosen a small northern Ontario university as representative of the most appreciated environment its former alumni selected.

The near future stretches before her, limited only by matters beyond her control, in the hands of Dame Fortune. Her passion to achieve a degree in her chosen profession and her search for excellence, her interest in the administration of justice has the potential to carry her forward in momentum toward life satisfaction.