When I reflect on last semester like I have been doing in this passion blog, I can’t help but think how different my life could have been if I didn’t choose Penn State. All of the experiences I’ve had here are completely unique to this university, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. In this post, I want to talk about my experience with the college application process, and why I chose Penn state.
When I first began looking at colleges, Penn State was low on the list. Both of my parents are alumni of the school, so of course it was on the list, but I didn’t want to go for one large reason: my older brother was already here. I wanted my college experience to be my own and not just a repeat of high school, where everyone knew my older brother and expected me to be just like him, though we are actually very different. So instead, I looked elsewhere. I looked at places such as Shepherd University, William and Mary, UMass Amherst, Indiana University, Notre Dame, Boston University, and even Ohio State. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to go to a private or public school, and how far from home I was willing to be.
After much pondering, I narrowed down what I was looking for in a university. First, it needed to have a reputable engineering program, since this is the type of degree I would be pursuing. Second, it needed to have a music program, so that I could minor in music performance. Third, it needed to be relatively large, because I wanted college to be almost like living in a small town. With these reasons, my choices were narrowed down to Big 10 schools, such as Indiana, Ohio State, and Penn State.
From here, I really needed to take a deep look at what I wanted out of college. Right off the bat, I decided that Indiana was too far, and travel to and from school would’ve been too difficult. With Ohio State, as time passed, I came to know people who were alumni, and I must say, they were not the nicest people on the planet. I came to realize that Ohio State was not the option for me because the people who attend Ohio State are too different from me in their values and their views. I enjoyed being around people from Penn State much more, and I felt like I belonged here whenever I visited the campus.
Looking back, I have no regrets on my college decision. As each day passes, I am more and more glad I did not choose Ohio State, because I have come to dislike them more and more. Here at Penn State, the opportunities such as the Blue Band, ROTC, and the engineering programs have given me so much more than what I could have asked for. And even though my brother is here, Penn State is large enough that I can still mold my own path and create my own story. Sorry OSU, but it’s Penn State all the way for me.
Image Credits:
https://admissions.psu.edu/pennstate/campuses/university-park/