CHS students navigate majors, prestige and financial concerns during college decisions

Published Apr. 7, 2022

BY EMMA BROWN

Across the country, March is recognized by high school seniors as the highly anticipated month during which college acceptances begin to roll in. As students’ inboxes are flooded with decision letters, they are faced with the issue of choosing where they intend to spend the next four years of their lives. 

For many Carmel High seniors, the availability of their intended major at a prospective college is the most important factor when choosing a university. When applying to schools, Lily Weisnenfeld had to ensure that each college offered landscape architecture as a major.

“If you have a niche major, you have to pick really specific schools because some schools don’t have it and you can’t apply,” Weisenfeld explains.

Unique programs present another pull factor for students, with universities across the nation offering a diverse range of institutions. For Dylan Hakim, the opportunities that Northeastern University’s experiential learning program presented immediately drew her to the Boston private school.

“They integrate work experience into your academics,” says Hakim. “The second semester of your second year, you start a co-op. It’s basically a paid internship, but you’re not doing intern work, you’re doing an actual job for a real company, and during that time you don’t take any classes, you are just working. You can do this up to three times and get up to 18 months of work experience.”

Location is another critical element for students, prompting them to reflect on where they would enjoy spending their next four years. Teagan Cox, who limited her applications to colleges in New York City and Hawaii, is currently leaning toward an east coast experience and is planning on enrolling in Manhattan’s Pace University as an education major in the fall.

When selecting colleges to apply to in the fall of 2021, many seniors also factored in the prestige of universities, valuing the name brand and the status that comes with attending a well-known college.

“Prestige has to be important,” says senior John Hoffman, who applied to 20 universities as either a business or economics major. “They come with alumni networks and for your career. The name brand is important.”

Though prestige plays an undeniable role in where Carmel High School students apply to college, current undergraduates encourage seniors to examine what university will best serve their interests and view reputation as an additional benefit.

“The prestige of your college won’t matter as much as how you personally feel there,” advises 2021 CHS grad Cassie Gorman, currently a freshman at the University of California, Davis. “You will remember the friends and memories you make way more than the accolades that university could give you.”

When considering what school was best for them, other seniors took stock of financial considerations, carefully examining available financial aid and merit programs available at their prospective universities. Ninety percent of undergraduate students at private universities and 88% of students at public colleges were awarded financial aid during the 2018-19 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

When Joseph McShane was applying to colleges, he analyzed the majors that they offered, but focused on whether attending each university would be a wise financial decision. 

“I took stock of the scholarships and financial aid I would receive, as well as the schools that offered work-to-study programs,” says McShane. “Basically if you work for the school they help cover tuition costs for you.”

While some students choose to apply to four-year universities, others find community colleges to be a wiser financial decision for themselves and their family. In an effort to be as debt-free as possible, Gigi Luster plans to attend Monterey Peninsula College in the fall.

Though students’ financial futures participate in their college decisions, some factor their academic future into account when applying to universities.

“Thinking about med school really influenced where I decided to apply,” Tristan Staehle says. “I got advice from a few doctors that it’s better to go to a less competitive one because you’ll stand out more to a med school. It is better to be top of your class somewhere that’s less competitive, compared to still doing great at another school, but you’re middle of the pack at Harvard or Stanford.”

While the school’s academic reputation plays a role in the appeal of a university, students also weigh the social opportunities at a college. For Addie Crabbe, the school spirit demonstrated at the University of Southern California drew her to the college immediately, while 2020 CHS grad Michelle Foley, now a sophomore at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, searched for a university with a culture that fit her personality and interests.

“I really resonated with the student culture, especially because I love how Yale has such a strong emphasis on both arts and academics,” Foley says. “That was really important to me, and not every school has that.”

While the majority of students choose their future college following regular decision admissions, which come out in March, others applied to the university of their dreams through early decision and early action admission, eliminating the stress of choosing between schools. 

Colleen Cordell, who applied early action to Notre Dame University as a psychology major, always knew that the land of the Fighting Irish was the place for her.

“Notre Dame has always been on my radar because growing up my parents took us to football games all the time and they went there and so they obviously loved the school,” Cordell explains. “As I started to think about colleges and the experience that I wanted, it just made sense.”

Though college is a major decision to make and requires the consideration of all factors, it can be an exciting journey for students as they move into the next phase of their life.