As the 2020 school year comes to a close, and with the big May 1st college decision deadline recently behind us, it’s been an important past few months for our seniors. As the class of 2020 wraps up their college application process, we decided to ask some of our seniors how they choose their college, to help out other students. 

I talked to three seniors about how they choose their school, each with a different subject area in mind. I spoke to Nissy Davis, who will be majoring in film, Samantha DiGerlando, who will be majoring in engineering, and Paige Cromley, who is currently undecided. 

Interview with Nissy Davis:

What school and major are you going into?

I am going to the Savannah College of Art and Design with an intended major of Film and TV and a potential minor in either painting or advertising. 

Going into an art major is a little different then going into a more research based major, so how did you find out about SCAD?

My mom grew up in Georgia and knew about SCAD from when she lived there, so she kept recommending it to me when thinking about potential colleges. I did a lot of research on it and toured the campus in September when seniors had a few days to go on college visits. I applied shortly after that visit because I just loved the environment and school so much, and it quickly found its way to the top of my list. 

What made SCAD a better option for you compared to other art schools?

 SCAD seemed to really stress the fact that you did not already have to be an expert in the field you wanted to major in. Compared to other schools, this was a huge breath of fresh air as many other institutions seemed to expect mastery in an art form I had not spent much time on. And I definitely didn’t look at every art school out there so there may be others that have the same mentality, but at least for me, it made SCAD seem like a very welcoming and educatory place. The funny thing about SCAD is that it does not meet many of the qualities I thought I wanted in a school. But it just felt right, even without all of those. 

Do you have any advice for students looking to go into an art major?

 It sounds cliche but, pursue your passion. If art is something you enjoy and can see yourself doing for the rest of your life, then go for it. I avoided looking at art schools and even art majors for such a long time because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get a good job afterward or that I would seem mediocre compared to my fellow students going pre-med or business. But at the end 

of the day, I just couldn’t see myself doing anything other than art and knew that it was the only option for me. I know I will be happy in this field and I hope SCAD helps me achieve that. 

Interview with Samantha DiGerlando:

What school and major are you going into?

I am going to Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado and I am majoring in Chemical Engineering with a specialty track in Biological Engineering. 

What did you look for in a school because you are going into the STEM field?

What I looked for in a school was how active I could be in the STEM field as an undergraduate student. I knew I wanted a college where I could be doing research and having an internship my freshman year. 

What is something that you are looking forward to with your school’s program? 

I am really looking forward to my curriculum that I will have at Mines. Since Mines is a STEM focused school, I am able to get my social sciences and english classes completed by my first year to focus on my science and math classes. I am also really excited that I will be double majoring in biological and chemical engineering! When I was applying to colleges, Mines was actually my only school where I applied as an engineer major. I took both AP chem and bio at Cooper and I am so excited to see how these topics will correlate into engineering.

 You have mentioned that you may try out for the dance team at your school, was a dance team something that motivated your college search? If so, how did you go about looking for colleges with a dance program? 

I definitely would say that when applying to colleges, I knew I wanted to continue dancing wherever I go. I also knew that at larger schools I applied to it would be more challenging to be on the dance team. So when looking at all my college choices, I narrowed them down on many different factors, but having a dance team where I could see myself on was very important. I am so excited that I will be auditioning in the fall for the Mines Dance Team in hopes that I will continue my love for dancing and performing! 

Interview with Paige Cromley:

What school and major are you going to?

I’ll be attending Princeton and will go into my first year as undecided. 

Since you are going in undecided, as a lot of people do, how did you narrow down your list of schools?

I really wanted an interdisciplinary education and the chance to explore different fields, so I decided that Princeton was the best fit for me. They’re committed to the liberal arts but also research, and I’ll be able to take classes in a wide variety of topics, from philosophy to genetics. 

What stood out to you about Princeton? 

The university stood out to me for its strong sense of community. 

How do you think Princeton will help you decide what major you want to go into?

I think going in undecided will give me the chance to explore and really figure out what I’m passionate about; I think Princeton will help me discover what I’m most interested in while allowing me to dip my toes in other fields as well. 

While this is just a snapshot of what some of our seniors have decided, all of the senior class are looking forward to their first year of college, with everyone going on different paths and pursuing what they are passionate about. I know that the class of 2020 are always eager to help out other students with questions or advice, so feel free to reach out. Congratulations to the class of 2020, we know you will do amazing things!