Senior year of high school, the main thing everyone finally started thinking about was where they were going to go to college. There were a few people already committed for sports, some who definitely knew where they always wanted to go, and then there was the majority of kids that had no idea where they would be a year from then. That group was me. I was completely clueless and I didn’t know at all what I wanted my college experience to be like. A big or small school, north or south, close or far.
When I applied using mainly the Common App (everyone’s new best friend), I applied to probably about 15 different schools to keep my options open. Of course Penn State was on the list, seeing as both my parents, my older brother, and all my aunts and uncles came here. However, just like for my brother, Penn State was always a part of the consideration, but just because our family went here didn’t automatically make it a top choice. We wanted to choose a school for our own love of it.
After the whole process and then finally having to make a decision between Penn State and South Carolina, I chose Penn State on the second to last day possible in my typical procrastination fashion. When it came down to it, Penn State just had everything I could want. Countless opportunities for involvement, a big school with lots of school spirit, lots of new people, and it was only a few hours from home. Plus, my older brother already went there at the time, which was a big pulling factor seeing as how we are so close. The only drawback was the weather, but what’s a little cold right?
Since making that decision on April 31st, I have never once regretted it. I have loved being at this school every second, with all the ups and downs of first semester. And I can not imagine if I would have been a 10 hour drive away at South Carolina instead of being here with my brother. I would have gotten so jealous every time my family visited Penn State or my brother went home for a weekend while I was stuck in the south.
And Penn State gave me all the opportunities and support I hoped for. It gave me tons of new friends, lots of club and sport involvements, and support for helping me decide what I eventually will want to major in. And it is an added bonus that I get to say that I am now at the place that my entire family has gone. It is pretty cool to be one of those giant Penn State fan families.
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