One of the hardest decisions a student must make as a senior in high school is finalizing the schools they’re applying to. After all, deciding whether or not you want to stay close to home, move hundreds of miles across the country, study abroad, or even immerse yourself in southern culture is a choice that will impact the next four years of your life.
And as that May 1 commitment deadline approaches, Seniors across Norwood are making their final choices on where to continue their education.
For Senior Samantha Sullivan, that decision is taking her beyond the United States.
While many of her classmates are staying in Massachusetts or elsewhere in the country, Sullivan will be attending McGill University, often referred to as “the Harvard of Canada”, in Montreal, Canada, this fall.
Sullivan’s choice was not mainly centered around a desire to go abroad, but her dedication to finding the right fit.
“I applied to schools all over the place,” said Sullivan. “Up and down the East Coast, one in California, a few in Europe. With McGill, it wasn’t really that it was in Canada and I wanted to be in Canada. It was more that it was the school that made the most sense for me.”
Still, her openness to leaving the country didn’t come out of nowhere. Sullivan says her travel experience played a major role in her decision to go abroad. Sullivan has visited ten countries, including Portugal, France, Ireland, and Italy.
“We [her family] travel a lot, and I’m used to it. I really like doing it,” confides Sullivan. “So it made me a lot more comfortable with the idea of going a little farther.”
That comfort that she felt quickly turned into certainty during a family trip over April break to tour her Canadian schools and make her final decision.
After visiting the University of Toronto, Sullivan felt unsure. But when she arrived in Montreal, something clicked.
“We were walking around the campus, and it just felt more like a campus. More people were out [than in Toronto], and it just felt right,” reflected Sullivan.
Beyond the atmosphere, the application process also stood out. Unlike many wordy U.S. college applications with supplemental essays and SAT scores galore, McGill’s admissions decisions are largely based on grades.
“It was really different,” Sullivan said. “I kept going through the whole application like, ‘Is there anything else I need to do?’ But there really wasn’t much.”
Even so, attending an international school comes with uncertainties. Sullivan admits that the most intimidating part isn’t the actual move across the border, but the unknown and endless possibilities that come with the U-Haul and boxes packed with dorm decor.
“I think it’s now, just not quite knowing how everything operates, and knowing that I might have to change faculties. That’s a whole process,” Sullivan jokes.
Sullivan was admitted into a joint Bachelor of Arts and Science program for her major in Sociology, something that she says she “accidentally” applied for. Still, McGill’s flexibility, such as allowing students to pursue minors outside of their main primary faculty, appeals to her.
Looking ahead, Sullivan hopes her experience abroad will broaden her perspective, especially regarding her academic interests and hobbies.
“I’m interested in politics and working internationally,” she said. “Even though Canada is similar to the U.S., it’s not the same. Having a different perspective can be really useful.”
And despite the distance, Montreal doesn’t feel too far from home. Sullivan conveniently has a family home in Canada, and compared to other schools she considered, Sullivan feels that the move feels more manageable, and that her family may not be too far behind.
“My dad already wants to visit all the time. He’s been looking at trains and says I’m going to get sick of him,” Sullivan jokes.
For underclassmen considering studying abroad at any point in their college career, Sullivan encourages taking the risk.
“Put yourself out there. Apply to a bunch of different schools, you’ll have options. It doesn’t hurt you.”
And as for what she’s most excited about, besides hockey, her answer was simple.
“It just seems like everybody has a good time, so I’m excited to go out and have a good time,” said Sullivan.
And as decision day begins to get closer, Sullivan’s choice reflects a growing trend and willingness in students to look beyond borders and what they deem as safe, not just to escape the mundane small towns they grew up in, or for a change in scenery, but for a desire for new opportunities and perspectives, and to expand their horizons.
