Laura
New member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2026
- Messages
- 15
Okay, so this might sound a little dramatic, but hear me out. I've grown up my entire life in a family that bleeds burnt orange. Like, my dad cries during the Texas fight song, and we had a Longhorn-shaped cake at my birth. For as long as I can remember, I was supposed to go to UT. It was just assumed. But then I visited Norman with a friend whose brother is a Sooner, and guys... I'm genuinely freaking out because I loved it. 
The campus felt so welcoming, the people were genuinely friendly, and the programs in my major are honestly better than anything in Texas. So now I'm sitting down to write my oklahoma university essay, and I have this massive identity crisis happening.
How do I explain to an admissions committee—and to myself—that I, a born-and-bred Texan, am genuinely passionate about becoming a Sooner? I can't just write "I hate the heat and want a change of pace," because that sounds shallow. I want to convey that my interest is deep and researched, not just a rebellion against my family's football allegiance.
Has anyone else here from Texas had to navigate this in their essay? How do you talk about choosing OU without making it sound like you're just trying to be different, or worse, like you're betraying your roots? I want to show them I understand the rivalry but respect the tradition, and that my decision is about my future, not my past.
Any advice on threading that needle would be amazing.
The campus felt so welcoming, the people were genuinely friendly, and the programs in my major are honestly better than anything in Texas. So now I'm sitting down to write my oklahoma university essay, and I have this massive identity crisis happening.
How do I explain to an admissions committee—and to myself—that I, a born-and-bred Texan, am genuinely passionate about becoming a Sooner? I can't just write "I hate the heat and want a change of pace," because that sounds shallow. I want to convey that my interest is deep and researched, not just a rebellion against my family's football allegiance.
Has anyone else here from Texas had to navigate this in their essay? How do you talk about choosing OU without making it sound like you're just trying to be different, or worse, like you're betraying your roots? I want to show them I understand the rivalry but respect the tradition, and that my decision is about my future, not my past.
Any advice on threading that needle would be amazing.