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How I made my college decision: High school seniors weigh in – Metro US

How I made my college decision: High school seniors weigh in

For many students, deciding which college they will attend is the first major life choice they make — and that's not easy. For many students, deciding which college they will attend is the first major life choice they make — and that’s not easy.

College decisions were due on May 1, and as it happens every year, students with a pile of acceptance letters had to ponder amidst the flurry of activity that accompanies their senior year. Whether the concerns are financial, about location or the type of college they want to attend, it’s a big moment for any student. We asked some of next year’s Frosh how they made the call.

All about the Benjamins
For Shain Goldman of Albany, the bottom line was what mattered most in his decision.
“I was kind of torn between two schools, I did a summer program at Syracuse and that was my top choice. Once I was accepted there and also at SUNY Buffalo, those were my main two schools. It was stressful, but my brother and sister went to SUNY Buffalo so I got the first-hand experience. The tuition is such a big difference, I would have to take out a huge amount of loans, so it seemed more practical to go with SUNY Buffalo. It was heartbreaking … but it just made economic sense to not have that much debt when starting my career.”

Size matters, and so does place
For Magdalena Espinoza of Manlius, NY, location was the final decision, though the size of the school is still intimidating.”The college I decided to go to is SUNY Binghamton. … I applied to many small schools but Binghamton is a big school, so I didn’t know which I would prefer more. I made the decision to go to Binghamton because I thought it was in the perfect location. I did not want to be in the same city I grew up in, but I also wanted to be close so that I could come back home anytime.”

Down to the wire
For Manhattan senior Jack Brodsky, taking a day to mull over the decision to go to Parsons School of Design made him feel more sure — mostly. Brodsky is a senior at Léman Manhattan Prep school and wanted to make sure he stuck around his favorite city for college.”I really waited until the very end to make the call. I needed that day [off from school] talking with my parents and thinking it over. I think I’m in the regret stage now, but that will pass. That shock of ‘Wow, now I made my college decision’ seems crazy to me. Today I feel pretty excited, but of course I’m still a little nervous because it’s a change.”

Wondering about the wardrobe
For Zander Cowen, a senior at Wayland High School in Mass., attending a small school was important, but he had some reservations.”At a small college, it would be easier to form close, personal relationships with my professors than it would be at a large school. … I’m concerned that I will not be able to fit in at Hampshire because I am so different than kids who attend the school. Hampshire college also doesn’t have many club sports teams, and the students that attend, from my understanding, don’t play many sports.”