When you hear the words "summer program for high school students," you immediately think of homework and classes during the summer, which are the last words any teenager wants to hear. Trust me, that's what I first thought too when my mom encouraged me to apply to a college summer program for the summer going into my senior year.
I wanted my last summer as an official high school student to be fun and filled with everlasting memories with my friends at the beach, at concerts, at the movies, and more. The last thing I wanted was to spend half of my summer in a classroom studying material and being assigned loads of homework because this is all supposed to happen during the actual school year.
Yet despite my hesitations, I applied to the writing program at Syracuse University's Summer College, mostly just to see if I could be able to get in or not. This specific program was six weeks long in Upstate New York and allowed high schoolers to receive college credits, which is something that stands out on college apps.
If I got in, a part of me would be happy, since Syracuse was already on my list of schools that I was considering, and it wouldn't hurt to spend half of my summer trying to determine if this would be the school I could potentially attend in the Fall of 2017.
But another part of me would be upset because that meant I'd have to spend six weeks without my close friends and in a completely new environment, all while doing dreaded school work at the same time.
I got my acceptance to the program in late April of 2016 and had no idea what to think or do. Would I give up my summer fun for books? Or would I miss out on a once in a lifetime opportunity where not only would I get college credit, but would also get to explore a campus that could possibly be my future home? After days of contemplating and going back and forth on what to do, I ultimately decided to attend the program and spend half of my summer in Syracuse, NY.
Little did I know that this decision would change my life forever.
The six weeks I spent on campus was probably where some of the most cherishable memories of my life were made. I was enrolled in two classes that were actually interesting and didn't require a lot of work, I easily made close friendships with many people that lasted throughout the entire program, and most importantly, I fell in love with Syracuse.
It wasn't even a week into the program where I began to feel a sudden confidence emerge inside of me while walking around campus from class to class. This was a place where I could see easily myself as a college student, having the time of her life in the best environment with the nicest people and the coolest class offerings.
Before this summer program, I had no idea that I would have my heart set on Syracuse. All I knew beforehand was that this school was in Upstate New York and had endless amounts of snow in the winters.
But had I not applied for this program, I wouldn't have fallen in love with the campus and what it has to offer. I wouldn't have met such amazing people that I still consider friends and who I still connect with today. I wouldn't have found a school that I would eventually consider to be my top choice and decide to apply for Early Decision.
Fast forward to today, and I can proudly say that I'm a college freshman at the same school where I started as a nervous high schooler ready to embark on a six-week writing program. I've only been at Syracuse for one semester now, but I've already experienced so many exciting and fun moments, and I have the strongest group of friends as my support system.
Syracuse made the scary and dreadful transition into college fun and easy, not only because I already know parts of the campus from the year before, but because it's now a place that I can consider to be my home. I have no regrets applying and attending the summer program because had I not, I wouldn't be in the spot I'm in today, surrounded by the best people at the best school.
If you're still in high school and are on the fence about attending a summer college program, do it! Even if it doesn't end up becoming the school of your dreams, you will still have so many memorable experiences that will impact your life forever.
Not only is it a great way to achieve some college credits early on for classes of your interest, but it also gives you the chance to meet new people that could potentially become some of your closest friends. And even if it's as long as six weeks, you still will most likely have the time of your life!