Congrats!

I believe I had mentioned before that my sister Natasha is a high school senior, so she has been agonizing over the college decision process for these many months now. She applied to five schools, all within Massachusetts, two within Worcester, including my beloved Clark University. As of last week, she has heard back from both those Worcester colleges, and I am excited to say that she has been accepted to both (and I am going to brag for her a little bit by adding with really great academic scholarships)!

Now my sister is really stubborn, especially when it comes to this college stuff and does not want to hear a word I have to say about the decision process or the colleges she has been accepted to even though I go to Clark. So here is what I would say her if she would listen to me:

• Clark is really great for a specific type of person:  I am not going to pretend that Clark is for everyone. People who want strong support from the school community for athletic teams will not find it here. People who want really large classes and a large student body will find Clark claustrophobic. Clark might not be those things, but it is really good at what it is. If you want to find a place where it is easy to get involved in campus and community life, Clark is great. If you enjoy more of a personal relationship with your professors, Clark affords you the chance to do that. I know I really love it here, but I also know I fit the type.
• If you can, live on-campus your first year:  I personally struggled with the decision of whether to commute or live on-campus, and I am extremely glad I chose the latter. As much as it may be true that you can be an involved commuter and establish friendships with people as a commuter, it is a wholly different and worth-while experience to live with your peers.
• Give where you go a fair chance:  I know so many people who talked about transferring to a new college during their first semester here, and while I don't want to diminish their feelings, I think that is too early to really know if you and your college of choice are not a good match. Here is a little secret:  no one feels like they fit in immediately. I'd go so far as to say that is universally true for every college first-year. Everyone has had one of those nights during their first-year where they thought "Why am I here?". While those feelings are unpleasant, I say ride through them for a while and see how you feel after some more time.
• This isn't a final decision if you don't want it to be:  On the flip-side, if you really don't like where you end up, transferring is out there for a reason. There is a college for almost everyone out there, so don't despair if  your first choice doesn't give you the college experience you wanted.

While I may have my own opinions on where I think Natasha should go and where I would like her to go, I know she is a smart kid, and she will figure it out, and most importantly, I know it is her choice. So congratulations, Natasha! I am so proud of you!