Interview by Rachael Petruccelli (Freshman, Undecided)
with Brynn McClelland (Freshman, Undecided)
August 30, 2021
When did you first begin your college search process?
I began my college search process the summer before my senior year at high school.
What support were you given in selecting a college?
I was given a lot of support from my parents. They were always supportive of whatever decision I made but I also was given support from my counseling center at my high school.
How did you ultimately choose SUNY New Paltz?
After attending mini information sessions for a bunch of different colleges and weighing my options of all the colleges I was able to narrow down to New Paltz because it has the best location, best price and best environment.
What factors- such as financial aid, distance from home, etc.- did you consider?
I considered financial aid, distance from home…all those things. Financial aid and, like tuition costs were definitely the biggest thing for me. Money is a bit tight for us so it was important to me that I wasn’t spending 50,000 dollars in one year. The distance from home thing. I would’ve liked to be a little bit closer than four and a half hours away but I think New Paltz is definitely worth it.
What challenges did you confront when deciding to enroll as a SUNY New Paltz?
A big challenge for me is definitely being so far from home. I live in Rochester, New York so it’s four and a half hours away. So it’s weird not being able to see my parents on the weekends. But other than that not many challenges.
What, if anything, would you change about your college search process?
I think I probably would’ve started earlier and asked for more information from my counseling center at my high school.
Why is attending college important to you?
I think it’s important to receive a degree especially for going into a job after college because it looks good on your resume.
What goals do you have yourself that you believe attending college will help you meet?
I mean obviously I want to get a job in a field that I enjoy. So I think receiving a degree in a relevant topic will help me get a job that I want in my future.
What struggles do you anticipate having while an undergraduate student?
Definitely workload. I plan on taking five classes every semester in my career so that will definitely be a struggle for me but nothing I can’t handle.
Is there anything that you would like to talk about related to this topic?
I think people should be open to anything, like when I was doing my college search process I had multiple SUNY schools as well as multiple private schools. And I also think people should be more open to majors. I think that in my opinion it’s better to go in undecided. So I think that you should go for a school that has the most major options.