Dear College-Bound High School Seniors,
"Where are you going to college?" was the question I attempted to avoid at every social gathering I attended my senior year of high school.
It was the inevitable question that was so easy for some to answer but for others, like me, not so much. By January of my senior year I had heard back from every college I had applied to and was more than excited with the choices I had. So I waited for the magical morning when I would wakeup and know exactly where I was destined to go. But that magical moment never happened and by April I felt more pressure than excitement to make a decision.
I would go to school every day and see another one of my classmates announce their commitment to their dream school and I began to feel alone. I wish I could have had a fairy godmother, who specialized in picking colleges, seek me out and turn my bewilderment into a beautiful coach and we would all live happily ever after.
But, as I mentioned before, there was no magic involved in my college picking process. So, my goal is to try to be that for you, and to tell you that you're not alone. I will not attempt to throw unsolicited advice at you, because I'm sure you are getting enough of that already. But, I will try to make your decision process a little easier through what I learned from my own experiences and decision to attend Penn State. In essence, be your fairy godmother.
My first step at turning your confusion into an enchanted journey is to give you some background on my own. As I mentioned earlier, I found myself conflicted between three vastly different schools. One was a small liberal arts school close to my home, another one was a larger university in the heart of a city, and of course there was Penn State.
Trying to compare the three was harder than comparing apples and oranges, it was more like comparing a Lima bean, pomegranate and a pumpkin. All three had their own unique quality that enticed me into thinking that I could go there. I won't describe to you the emotional moments but you can imagine that by April I was fed up with my indecision. After many conversations about what I would do at each school, I decided to look at what I would miss by choosing one school over another. I realized that by not attending Penn State I would miss out on the opportunity to be at a school that challenged its students to go above and beyond and be a part of a community that was bigger than most, It would mean pushing myself into a bigger society than I had ever been in before, and to be a student in the loudest student section in the country.
If there is only one thing that I would want you to take away from this article is to try not to take this decision too seriously. I'm sure that every college you applied to is fun, tedious, rewarding and awesome in its own way; so don't beat yourself up over the idea of regretting the decision you make.
No matter which school you choose you will have the time of your life. This process is supposed to be exciting and slightly overwhelming with the possibilities that lie ahead. The perfect way to sum this up is by quoting a certain Mr. Ferris Bueller "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around for a while, you could miss it."
From Your College Fairy Godmother
