KS2

__If You Had the Chance, Would You...__

Money and parental restriction are the leading causes in why some kids choose to stay close to home. The parents are not at fault. This isn’t a call to action for teenagers to rebel more than they already try to; some parents are just not comfortable with sending their child halfway across the country for school. They do have some say because it is their money after all. Money, on the other hand, it another determining factor when choosing a college. Economically speaking, it is difficult for most people to spend $20,000 or more a year on college tuition. Most Hopewell students are happy with their college choices, but still would like to go somewhere further than the school they are attending. A yes or no survey was conducted that involved fifty seniors. The question that was asked was, ‘‘if parents and money weren’t a problem, would you attend a college more than 300 miles away?’’ This survey was only eligible for students who are attending a school that is less than said 300 miles away. Out of the fifty students who were interviewed thirty-eight said yes and twelve said no. One student was going further away because it was cheaper. He plans to attend McGill in the fall and tuition in Canada is significantly less than out of state tuition in America. When asked why they would want to attend school further away, the students all had similar reasoning: their own curiosity. For the twelve who said no, their reasoning was that they didn’t feel like they needed to go far away to get the college experience and the idea of being a stranger in a strange new place made them uncomfortable. Going 300 plus miles from home for the first time is an intimidating idea to most of America’s youth. A student who has decided not to attend a school that is too far away out of trepidation that they might become homesick and have to transfer to a closer university, are not less mature than those who do the opposite and go to schools in west coast. Other than fear of the unknown, many students are restricted when applying to college because of the money that is required for tuition and travel. A plane ride to and from school for every holiday is going to be anything, but cheap. Planes, and trains may not seem to be that expensive when their tickets are bought independently, but they start to add up quickly. Tuition prices may not always be the problem when choosing a school that is finically dependable; transportation prices can be another determining factor when deciding on a college. Many parents have the money to send their children anywhere they would like to go, but do not have the trust in their child that they will be alright so many miles away. In some cases it is not a matter of maturity, but more of the fact that they are sending their eighteen or nineteen year old off on their own for the first time. Many parents would like their children to remain close in case they have any problems at school. And some parents don’t think that their children are ready for moving hundreds of miles away. This entails that there may be some sort of culture shock. If you live in New York City and you are attending Iowa State, there are going to be some dramatic differences. Students at Hopewell Valley are very fortunate because there are a lot of schools located less than two hours from here. Rider, Rutgers, TCNJ, Monmouth, Montclair, Rowan, and Richard Stockton College are just in NJ. There are also thirty four non community colleges in NJ alone. PA is still considered close to home and there are tons of schools located in that area. Money and parents are the deciding factor when picking a college to attend. At the end of the day, everyone finds a college that is right for them regardless of the two factors listed above.

rss url="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/education/31college.html?ref=admissions" number="5"

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