Many seniors become overwhelmed when deciding what to do after they finish high school. The decision is not made lightly, considering it has an impact on the rest of their lives.
Among the endless options, factors such as location, what the program offers and how well the student likes the feel of the school all play a role in selecting the best option.
Senior Jacob Kanter will be attending New York University, a private university in New York City. Kanter applied to four schools, and he ended up making his decision based mainly on location.
“I loved New York City itself,” Kanter said. “I went around to Boston and DC, and I just liked New York the best out of all of them.”
Following graduation, senior Maya Abman has plans to go to Israel, where she is originally from.
“I’m going to do a gap year so I meet more people and then I’m going to join the IDF (Israeli Defence Force) for two years,” Abman said.
The IDF is Israel’s military, and according to Abman, many Israeli teens join it after completing high school.
“I feel like I am more Israeli than American,” Abman said. “So even though I’m living here, I feel like I’m more a part of their culture, so I need to do it.”
After being in the IDF for two years, Abman will go to college in Israel.
Picking a completely different path from both Kanter and Abman is senior Molly Cagle, who will be attending the University of Arkansas in the fall. Cagle made her decision based on both location and unique aspects of the school.
“I liked that it is a lot like Mizzou,” Cagle said, “but it’s still farther away, and there’s a lot of people I don’t know.”
The University of Arkansas is about a five-hour drive from St. Louis, which is a perk for Cagle.
“I’m close enough so I can drive home but I’m far enough away that I’m not at home,” Cagle said.
Like Cagle, location was a factor in the decision making process for senior Ashley Glickert, but she focused mainly on colleges in Florida, and narrowed down her choices to schools where she could play volleyball.
“In the beginning I looked at tons of schools regardless of volleyball; it was just an added bonus if I could play there too,” Glickert said.
Glickert ended up choosing Florida Gulf Coast University, where she will play both regular and sand volleyball.
“I loved the atmosphere at FGCU, and the coaches are absolutely amazing,” Glickert said. “The athletes get to stay in the dorms that are right on the beach and that was too good to pass up.”
While Kanter and Glickert both focused on just a few schools, according to college counselor Mrs. Nana Prange, there has been a significant increase in the number of colleges seniors are applying to this year.
“Overall, the theme from admissions representatives is that they are receiving record numbers of applications,” Prange said, “and that their applicant pool continues to become more competitive each year.”
A school’s selectivity adds another factor to consider when making a college selection. According to Prange, making knowledgeable and informed decisions throughout the entire process is one of the most important aspects.
“From where to apply to your final decision of where you will attend, the journey to selecting a college is very personal and specific to each student and the priorities that have been established for their family,” Prange said.
