Disclaimer: This is a response to the article titled "Dear High School Seniors, Don’t Go To Penn State." The italicized text below are excerpts from that article and not my own writing.
Dear High School Seniors,
Right now, you are making your decisions about what to do next year. I know you’ll choose whatever’s best for you. But here are my words of advice, as a sophomore in college, who remembers the application process like it was yesterday:
Do go to a big state or private school.
In my four years at Syracuse University, I hoped to grow, be challenged and change as a person. I did change, but in a way I never saw coming. I am more independent, mature, goal-orientated and happy now, than ever before.
In high school, I had a large group of friends. I was from a small town in northern New Jersey where the people you went to preschool with are the same people you graduated from high school with fifteen years later. My friends were my everything; between partying on the weekends, accomplishing our high school bucket list or dreaming about our future universities, we spent our short four years of high school living life to the fullest. When looking at colleges, I know I wanted a school that challenged me. I wanted to attend a big state school, with a lot of “team pride,” Greek life, a social schedule unlike any other and endless opportunities whether involving my education, the alumni network or general organizations on campus. As a third generation Syracuse prospective student, I knew I was going to come here. Penn State was my second choice, UConn a close third and Maryland not far behind. All of these schools had everything I ever wanted in a university that I was going to invest the next four years in. I enrolled in Syracuse two years ago and my life was changed forever.
I wish I could tell you I loved Syracuse the minute I stepped on campus. As a motivated, responsible, and especially bubbly 18-year-old, I thought I would flourish in my first few weeks of college. Except, the complete opposite happened. Maybe it’s because I went to a small high school or maybe because my parents were my best friends, but I felt alone at a university made up of over 15,000 students. Syracuse considers its campus to be an “urban setting,” unusual to the New Jersey suburb where I grew up. As a business student many of my lectures were over 200 people. I was a number, not a name. My teachers knew me by my student ID, my clicker’s bar code or the quiet blonde who always sat in the back row. Thoughts about transferring to a “comfortable school” often crossed my mind. I firmly believed that everything happens for a reason, and I knew that if I wanted to make it work, I would need to make a change.
It wasn’t until I started to get actively involved that I realized my true potential. I rushed a sorority, I joined a few clubs on campus and I solidified my friendships even further and branched out. In the classroom, I occupied the front row, I studied harder and improved my grades. I realized the opportunities in front of me, which further solidified my decision to attend a big state school from the very beginning.
Syracuse, as well as other state institutions, teach us to think outside the box. Just because I may be a number in a sea of other numbers, that doesn’t mean that I’m not important to my professors. The best way to get an A, in 100 percent of the classes I’ve taken here, is to work your ass off. Sometimes it is to go through the motions prescribed by your professors, but other times it’s by utilizing your own creativity. Professors are often open to ideas and personal realizations. But in reality, they would rather just have it done their own way. We have to realize that that’s life. In your future job, you’re going to be dictated and told what to do. These last two years, I’ve realized that I can have my own opinions and think for myself, but at the same time I have to respect my professors own way of doing things as well.
Syracuse, as well as other large universities, are the epitome of Groupthink. If you live on the Mount or BBB, you’re going to meet an endless amount of freshman who have different or contrasting views as you. If you live in Dellplain or Ernie dormitories as a freshman, you might have a really hard time making friends. If you’re in Newhouse, yes you have a stereotype, same as if you were in Whitman or studying biology. Just because we have eight unique and individual separate “schools” on our campus within Syracuse, doesn’t mean that we don’t have to confirm to the stereotypes of each school. Also, people here don’t wear their own clothes, they wear Syracuse clothes. Our campus is flooded with blue and orange. The students also have the same conversations over and over again. But these conversations don’t only associate with the party scene or current happenings on campus; these conversations are intellectual and often include opinions about politics, religion and social issues. We are being trained to be doctors, engineers, lawyers, politicians, educators, creators, entrepreneurs, role models and future leaders of the world. There is plenty of room for opportunity at big state and private schools.
After completing my first semester at Syracuse, I flourished. I earned good grades, I made the best of friends, and I participated in organizations and activities with equal-minded creative people. I didn’t struggle to find my footing anymore. I didn’t have to try and change to fit in. I think the best part about attending a big state or private university is that you shouldn’t have to alter your personality, image or look to find your place. Because of the size of the institution, I promise you that you will find your people if you truly make the effort.
In summary, my two years have been the best years of my life. I feel more connected to the "real world" and myself than I ever have before. The amount of lessons I’ve learned here are endless.
My biggest advice for graduating high school seniors would be to leave your comfort zone, go out on a whim and immerse yourself in an accredited four year state or private institution. I promise that they will be the best four years of your life.
Go somewhere that excites you, challenges you, makes you a better person. Go to Maryland, Duke, Rutgers, Ohio State, Clemson, UofMiami, Louisville, Wisco, Purdue, Syracuse and any other university. Even go to Penn State.
