The end of high school is a transformative time for everyone. Some seniors must decide where they want to go to college and what they want to study. One of the most important – and often overlooked – aspects of this choice is choosing how far to move away from home. 

“I thought that my school [Baylor] was the best fit for me personally. I didn’t really consider the distance. I think college will be a good opportunity to find the person I can be when I’m away from what’s familiar to me,” Senior Emily Ewbank remarks. 

In the fall, Ewbank will be attending Baylor University. Baylor is located in Waco, Texas, which is almost 20 hours away from Washington, PA by car. Ewbank found Baylor because the school offers strong science and pre-med programs, which Ewbank plans on being an active part of after her graduation from high school. She also enjoyed the school’s atmosphere, which helped contribute to her decision. 

Ewbank only applied to one school that was located close to where she lived during high school. She only really considered the option because of how it would allow her to stay closer to her sisters. Even with this consideration, though, Baylor was still the number one college in Ewbank’s heart and she felt she had to go there to get the most enjoyment out of her college experience. 

Senior Lexi Koffler also fell in love with her college, though she found that love much closer to home. Koffler’s college application process went smoothly. Despite this fact, making her final decision was difficult. Eventually, though, Koffler decided to commit to the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt).

“Committing to Pitt wasn’t about its closeness to home at all. It was more about what the school had to offer. I know a lot of people at Pitt and I feel it’s important to be in a city because of all the job opportunities that come from it. Pitt is also known for its medical and science-focused programs, which is what I want to study,” Koffler said. 

Koffler applied to eleven different schools, seven of which she visited in-person. Of those eleven, the University of Vermont was the farthest away at 10.5 hours. Koffler decided against going there after falling in love with Pitt and realizing it’d be difficult to come home during breaks from that far away. 

Both Ewbank and Koffler are excited to travel to their respective colleges. The right school is out there for everyone, regardless of whether it is thirty minutes away or three hours away. 

When choosing a school to attend, seniors are encouraged to focus on the merits of the school and on what is most important to them! Good luck to the class of 2022 – wherever they may go!