From the start of freshman year guidance counselors, teachers, and even family members begin to talk about the college process and start to brainstorm where they will think their student or child will fit best. The good news is there’s no need to stress! Many seniors have shared what made them choose their college and perhaps a look at their decision making process can help those who are still trying to decide on the next step after graduation.

Olympic Heights senior, Nina Pulvirenti will be attending Florida State University, majoring in Biological Sciences. “I was [first] drawn to FSU because of my first college visit with my brother,” Pulvirenti said. She goes on to explain that many people, including herself, don’t “have very high expectations for the school.” However she later states, “When I stepped foot in Tallahassee, I fell in love with the campus.” Her main piece of advice is “to visit all your options and choose based on what feels right.” 

OH senior Robbie Sternberg will be attending the University of Florida and will be majoring in civil engineering. Sternberg claims “the familiarity” is what initially drew him to UF as many of his friends go there and speak highly of the school. He also says, “I wanted my college to be somewhere other than my hometown of Boca Raton, so UF is perfect because I can still travel somewhere, but it’s not too far from home either.” 

Sternberg’s suggestions for younger students “is to weigh all options…whether that be location, cost of tuition, social scene…anything that you might be thinking about when choosing a college.” He also advises students to “truly keep an open mind.” Sternberg sums up by saying “The college you end up choosing might be the one you never thought you wanted to go to, so don’t rule any options out when it comes to deciding where you want to go to college.”

Oh senior Lexi Charlip is “hopefully headed to University of Arizona to major in chemistry.”  Charlip had a different experience due to University of Arizona being an out-of-state school. She “love[s] that it’s far away so [she] can make new friendships wherever [she] goes.” Charlip adds, “I really loved some of the internet people I met and the overall vibe of the school.” Charlip’s main piece of advice “is to not change to try to fit a school’s standards because you will find the right place to fit in.” 

Having the opportunity to read advice from seniors who have just gone through the college process that so many students are about to be going through can be very beneficial. The main advice from fellow classmates is to keep an open mind, be yourself, and choose what school is best for you and makes you feel most at home. With that being said, keep working hard in your classes! While you can start planning where you want to go to college now, keeping an open mind is the best way to go through the process! In the end, everyone ends up where they’re supposed to be.