by Allison Vickery
As the seniors get closer to graduation, most of them are preparing for new things. I talked with six different seniors about where they are going and what they are doing. These seniors represent many of the options that students have as they leave high school.
In state college
Name: Alli Pecorella
Applied to: Fitchburg State, Becker College
Going to: Fitchburg State
Major: Video Game Design
Why she chose to do this: “It’s something I got into through school. I have always been interested in computers and art. It’s something that lets me express myself and keeps me happy.”
Out of state college
Name: Patrick Reynolds
Applied to: University of East London, Richmond the American International University in London, LIU Brooklyn, Marymount Manhattan College
Going to: Marymount Manhattan College
Major: Marketing and an intended minor in theatre
Why he chose this place: “It’s in New York City’s Upper East Side. It’s a safe neighborhood. There are great internship opportunities, and because there is no campus you can explore the city.”
Military
Name: Dennis Panneton
Applied to: University of New Hampshire, Bryant University, University of Massachusetts, Northeastern, University of Rhode Island, Merrimack College
Going to: University of New Hampshire
Major: Political Science and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
Why he chose to do this: “I’ve always had an interest in politics. Joining the military also gives me a guaranteed position in the workforce. Studying law has always been something that I wanted to do. If I get granted the two year delay, then they would pay for law school as well. So if I can get law school paid for and have a guaranteed job, afterwards, in a semi-flooded field, it would set me up to do what I want to do. I really like their political science program. It provides good study abroad opportunities.”
Ivy League university
Name: Scott Kall
Applied to: Princeton University, Yale University, Harvard University, Cornell University, Dartmouth University, Carnegie Mellon University, Hamilton College, Vassar College, University of Delaware, University of Rochester, SUNY University at Albany
Going to: Harvard University
Major: Government
Why he chose this place: “I had a really tough choice choosing between Cornell and Harvard. I already committed to Cornell, and I really loved Cornell ever since I stepped on the campus. But when I went back to visit Harvard, I got to talk to some of the students and get a really good feel for the school and the programs. I realized the endless opportunities that I would have there, for anything I would want to do. I think that it will definitely be the best place for me.”
Undecided Major
Name: Samantha Graham
Applied to: University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, University of Connecticut, University of New Hampshire, University of Vermont
Going to: University of Vermont
Major: Undecided
Why she chose this place: “Mostly because it’s a lot smaller than UMass Amherst. I was going to go to UMass, but it’s too big. Also, I mostly like it because of the town that it’s in and I like skating, so I wanted to be in Vermont. In a smaller school setting, you can get in smaller classes, which means the professors know who you are. Smaller is more personal.”
Community College
Name: Matt Faria
Applied to: Quinsigamond Community College
Going to: Quinsigamond Community College
Major: Criminal Justice
Why he chose this place: “Well it’s close to home, for one, and I struggled a lot in high school. I heard a lot about it, and I have a lot of friends who have gone there. They went for two years, they transferred after, and they’ve had a successful education opportunity there. The price of education is much cheaper, especially compared to other schools. So I felt that it was a good fit for me. I have already been to the campus a few times, so I’m pretty familiar with it.”
