The Road Ahead
Janelle Tengco | May 27th, 2020 | Features
The frequent refreshing of email inboxes and the anticipation of acceptance letters are experiences all high school seniors undergo. After a protracted wait, Stanton College Preparatory School’s seniors received their admission decisions and decided which colleges they wanted to attend. However, the class of 2020 is facing many unforeseen challenges, leaving them with doubt about their plans after graduation.
“Florida State University wasn’t my top choice and I have a lot of uncertainty,” said senior Reed Miller. “I have plans to potentially transfer to the University of Florida after a year. I was waitlisted at New York University and that would definitely be a college I would want to look into more and tour, but I don’t really have that option with the virus.”
There are a variety of factors that contribute to the decisions Stanton seniors make after graduation. The ongoing situation in the United States with the coronavirus, known as COVID-19, has already interfered with many goals. Due to state-mandated orders and social isolation meant to limit the spread of the virus, some seniors have been forced to discard their original plans or choose the college they wish to attend without ever visiting it.
“I was supposed to go on a tour and attend information sessions at the University of Florida’s campus but those got canceled,” said senior Chase Virta-Steel. “My family was also considering attending other admitted student day activities but those were all canceled before we had the chance.”
In the midst of this pandemic, seniors continue to prepare for their departure to college. Whether they have chosen to attend in-state or out-of-state universities, most seniors still look forward to furthering their knowledge about the subject they intend to major in.
“I am very interested in criminology and psychology, so I might choose something along those lines,” said senior Camille Perrin. “I plan to attend Florida State College at Jacksonville for two years. After that, I am going to transfer to either Florida Atlantic University or go to France to be with some family and finish school there.”
Some students who are keen on attending college are accepted into the university of their first preference, while some are not; these results can affect the expectations seniors had for their college experience. Senior Raha Riazati did not have to significantly change her plans, despite not being accepted into her first choice. Instead, she adopted a new perspective on the second college of her choice: the California Institute of Technology.
“I had to change my expectations of my college experience because of [the college’s] small size and [its] other attributes,” said Riazati. “I didn’t have to change too many of my plans because my first preference was more of a dream than something I thought would actually happen, so I hadn’t even made any solid plans around my first choice.”
High school graduates also have the option to pursue international studies by attending a campus in another country. Senior Olivia Rouse will be attending the American University of Paris to connect with her French heritage while completing her studies there. Her interests in her family lineage and foreign cultures have contributed to her decision as she prepares to face the inevitable challenges of this endeavor.
“When I found this school that would allow me to [complete my academic work] for four years but still have my studies in English for an easier transition, I knew I had to go,” said Rouse. “I am very excited for the opportunity to travel throughout Europe rather easily and to better my French-speaking. However, I’ll likely only be coming home two times a year after four to five months at a time, and being a huge family person, I’m bound to get homesick and miss family and friends.”
Stanton seniors also have the option to achieve higher education without needing to enroll in a university. While traditional colleges place an emphasis on academics, military academies offer the choice to serve in the U.S. military and gain experience prior to enlisting in a branch of the armed services.
“I wanted to go to West Point because I felt that it was my best chance to get a top tier undergraduate education,” said senior Charles Woo. “The United States Military Academy looks for a reasonable mix of athletics and academics, so I knew it was my best opportunity to show what I had. Most importantly, I feel like the Army would help me grow physically and mentally in ways that I would not be able to if I enlisted or went to FSU.”
Many Stanton seniors have established their future plans after being accepted into their desired college. However, uncertainties about the colleges they chose or concerns about the pandemic may cause them to revise their future goals. With a wide range of possibilities and difficulties, there is no particular path that Stanton seniors should take: they can only prepare for the one ahead.