Acceptances and Making Your Decision

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2018 Seniors Who Worked With Heather Have Been Accepted at the Following Colleges and Universities:

  • Case Western Reserve
  • The College of Wooster
  • Connecticut College
  • Denison University
  • Fairfield University
  • Franklin and Marshall College
  • Hobart and William Smith Colleges
  • Juniata College
  • Lafayette College
  • Lycoming College
  • Ohio State University
  • Penn State University-Altoona
  • Penn State University-University Park
  • Penn State University-Schreyer Honors College
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Savannah College of Art and Design
  • Syracuse University
  • Youngstown State University
  • Villanova University-Honors
  • University of  Connecticut
  • University  of Massachusetts-Honors
  • University of Pittsburgh
  • University of Rochester
  • University of Texas-San Antonio-Honors
Best wishes to these students who will be graduating this Spring from Canfield High School, (Youngstown, Ohio) East Catholic High School, (Manchester, CT), State College Area High School (PA), and St Joseph’s Academy, (Boalsburg PA). 

It’s Time To Make Your Decision About Which College To Attend!

You’re In! Your hard work has paid off. You may have been accepted to several colleges where you applied and now it is your turn to decide. Where will you be happy and thrive? As you are making your final choice about where to spend the next four years of your life, here are some suggestions you may want to consider as you move ahead in making your final college choice:

  • Make a list of the pros and cons of each school to which you have been offered admission. Consider location, academic majors, size, the type of students who go there, the political climate, and social scene. While making this list, talk to anyone you know who currently attends or has graduated from the colleges you are considering. They will be glad to share their impressions and experiences with you.
  • Go visit again. It is important to try and attend the accepted student “open houses” and other events such as “overnights” that colleges have in the spring for their admitted students. If you can’t make these events, try to go at another time and arrange to attend a class. Once you are on campus you can get a sense of the culture of the campus. Read the school newspaper and check out the bulletin boards. Talk informally with current students, look around, and listen. What do they do in their free time and on the weekends? Are there living and learning communities you would like to be part of or intramural teams for you to play on? If you are a recruited athlete be sure and meet with the coaching staff again and with the members of the team.
  • Check out the graduation data for each college you are considering. Find out what percentage of students graduate in four years and how many take five or six years to graduate? What percentage of the graduating class go on to graduate or professional school? How many get jobs when they graduate? What kind of career counseling is available on campus and what companies come into recruit.
  • Where will you be most comfortable academically in order to achieve your educational goals? If you think you have decided upon a major, carefully research what each college offers in the field you have selected. How many and what kind of courses are offered? How many full-time faculty are in the department along with the number of part-time faculty? Is undergraduate research encouraged? Do the schools you are considering offer you a variety of other academic choices, if you change your mind about your major? Be sure you know the kind of internships and other off-campus learning opportunities are offered. For example, students in the geosciences program at Dickinson College can spend two weeks on research projects in the Arctic, and students at Gettysburg College can spend time in Washington D.C. studying at the Eisenhower Institute.
  • Make sure you and your parents really understand the “financial aid packages” you have been offered by each school. Is a particular school offering you unsubsidized or subsidized Federal Direct Loans? Is it offering you scholarships and grants or just loans? How much are you really getting, compared to the cost of tuition? Take care not to saddle yourself with too much debt that will have to be paid off after college. Find out what fees you will be charged in addition to tuition. Don’t forget that there are other costs besides tuition and fees that you will incur such as books, travel, and recreation. Determine how you will afford these expenses. What if you no longer want to, or can play that sport for which you were offered a scholarship? Would you still want to be at that college? Could you still afford to be there?
  • You only have until May 1, 2018 to make your decision since you will need to send in your deposit confirming your place in the freshman class at the college of your choice. Be honest with yourself. Think about your own interests, values, and preferences as you make your decision. Where will you feel most comfortable and challenged?
  • Once you have decided on a college, thank your teachers, your school counselor and other professionals who have helped you along the way, so they can celebrate with you as you look ahead to new experiences. Good Luck!