When senior Vivianna Varlack of Manalapan found out that she got into Stanford University, she nearly threw her laptop in excitement, screaming and running down the stairs to go tell her parents. Leading up to that moment was the most nervous she had ever been in her life, but it was all worth it.

Not only was Varlack invited to the sunny west coast, but she was also accepted into an Ivy League school here on the east coast — Princeton University.

“When I got into Princeton, it was a little less exciting only because I knew it would make the choice of which college I was going to go to really difficult,” said Varlack.

While Varlack has loved Princeton her entire life and enjoyed the close proximity to home, after visiting both universities shortly before decision day, she ultimately chose Stanford.

“Stanford is in California which is just amazing and the campus is absolutely gorgeous,” Varlack said. “When it came down to it, I feel like the creative writing programs were both really good, but I felt like it would be more beneficial for me to go to someplace where I’ve never been before.”

Varlack’s personality is centered around her love of reading and writing. She plans on majoring in English with a focus on creative writing, as well as incorporating her love for writing with other interests, such as film. California gives Varlack more opportunities to explore screenwriting, as well as the chance to become more independent.

“I want to branch out a little bit,” said Varlack. “I’m excited to meet a lot of new people and form deeper connections with them that will hopefully help me with my career later and also having friends for life.”