If you missed LeSean McCoy at the mall this past year, here’s your second chance to meet him.
Eagles running back LeSean McCoy will be traveling down to Penn Manor for a football camp that will run June 25-27. It will be open to kids from ages 8-16 for $250 per person.
LeSean “Shady” McCoy, has been with the Eagles for three years and is originally from Harrisburg, Pa. McCoy went to college at the University of Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009. He has quickly become a fan favorite and become a key factor in the Eagles offense.
LeSean McCoy, is the headline name for this years camp. Photo from Bleed-Green.com
“McCoy will be working all three days of the camp and will be bringing with him other NFL players, I can’t give you the names but people he played with in Philly and at Pittsburgh,” Mealy said.
According to the Mealy, the goal of the camp is to teach fundamentals but more importantly it is for the campers to learn how to select role models and how to become responsible members in their communities. Each day, McCoy and fellow coaches will take a portion of the camp to talk to the campers about life lessons and making the right decisions. This has been a focal point when it comes to playing for Penn Manor for football.
McCoy had been looking to start doing camps out in the community and picked 3 schools, Bishop McDevitt (where he graduated), Penn Manor and one located in Philadelphia.
The coaches hope that this camp with McCoy will be a reoccurring event, which could potentially bring more attention to the football program and help the up and coming players receive an experience that will stick with them.
So, if you are interested in attending the camp, and are between the ages of 8-16 please email starcitysports1@gmail.com or Coach Mealy, todd.mealy@pennmanor.net.
Our economy may be on it’s way back up, but the students here at Penn Manor are still finding ways to curb their spending.
One of the ways students have come up with is to advertise.
Much like the old advertising method of the “sandwich board,” some students here at Penn Manor have been using their bodies to promote Central PA Tuxedo, a tuxedo rental store that has been largely used by Penn Manor seniors to get their tuxedos for their prom dances.
Three Penn Manor seniors used this style of advertising for the tuxedo seller last week by wearing different types of tuxedos to school for all of the student body to see the quality of tuxedos available if you choose to rent from Central PA Tuxedo.
Senior David Mohimani handing out a flyer advertising Central PA Tuxedo last week.
The students, in return, will receive a free tuxedo rental for their own Prom night.
“It was really nice just to do a little bit of work and get a free tux out of it,” senior Dylan Weber said, a nearly $60 investment for other students.
Not just anyone could advertise for Central PA Tuxedo, however. Senior Landon Alecxih, who had represented the store before, was only able select two other classmates to model the tuxedos with him that day. Senior classmates David Mohimani and Dylan Weber were lucky enough to be selected by their friend.
The experience didn’t come off entirely as work to the seniors though. Instead, some almost enjoyed their day in the tuxedo.
“I felt like a boss wearing the tux,” said David Mohimani, a senior that modeled a white tux for Central PA Tuxedo last week.
It wasn’t all fun and games for the students, who had to take unexpected time to prepare for their day in the tuxedos.
“It didn’t take that long to get sized for the tux but the drive from my house in Pequea to the shop in Centerville took a good amount of time,” said Weber.
On top of the time out of their day, the seniors biggest concern was focusing on not getting a mark on their tuxedos.
“I didn’t even eat lunch that day because I didn’t want to risk spilling my Gatorade on my white tux,” Mohimani said.
But the seniors had a job to do, and they needed to hand out about 50 flyers throughout the course of the day to rather unwilling people.
“I never would have guessed how badly people wouldn’t want a flyer,” Weber said. “I mean it’s not that big of a deal to just take a flyer.”
One person was even so emphatic on not receiving a flyer that he slammed it back onto the desk of the unsuspecting Mohimani.
At the end of the day though, each boy handed out all of their flyers, fulfilling their job for the day and earning them the free tuxedo rental. Which, the students will admit, was the only reason they did it in the first place.
As I buckled my seat belt, awaiting the 45- minute trip to Reading, I prepared mentally for the task at hand.
We were headed to the famous Peanut Bar, where they provide you with an abundance of peanuts and, when you’re finished, they encourage you to throw your shells on the floor.
The car ride was uneventful mostly consumed by talks of Facebook updates and lacrosse practice.
When we arrived and I saw the shells on the ground I was hesitant to proceed, it isn’t something you’re used to seeing,but my stomach wouldn’t let my feet turn around.
The peanut shells were unsettling at first and raises question about sanitation, but they assure you everything is copacetic.
While the peanuts were appetizing, they were not the treat we traveled outside the comfort of Lancaster for.
No, No, we came for a much bigger reason.
All-you-can-eat buffalo wings.
I’m not sure if there is anything better than wings. They are the ultimate man-food, greasy,fattening,and delicious.
Photo of the inside the Peanut Bar courtesy of the restaurant
This isn’t my first time facing the daunting task or trying to consume more wings than the rest of my cohorts. I always leave bloated, messy, and usually sweat beads are dripping from my forehead.
I’ve yet to come up victorious, every year I fall to the heavy hitters like Errol”Double Barrel Cannon” Hammond and Simon, but this year with a weaker field that included two rookies I thought this is my time capture the belt.
There are two simple rules to our annual wing eating contest.
1. Clean all the meat off the wing
2. No using the bathroom.
Everything else is allowed.
I had been preparing myself all day for the task at hand,I even skipped lunch, which is rare for me.
The first round of wings came promptly.
The heavenly aroma penetrated my nostrils bringing my hunger and love to a crescendo before taking that first delicious bite.
The thick special sauce dripped from my hands and face as I easily knocked down the first 10.
My strategy was to eat fast and avoid bleu cheese if possible. Also the most difficult part is trying to limit my soda consumption.
Blue cheese, while extremely tasty, is an easy way to fill yourself up quick, so even though I love it if I wanted to win I’d have to avoid it.
I finished the first round faster than the rest of my competition.
I was in my zone.
The next five came out and I once again downed them faster than anyone else.
Fifteen wings down and I felt like I could go for 60.
Everything was going well, twenty-five wings done and still no signs of letting up.
Then around wing twenty-seven I started to feel the dreaded food wall. That certain grumbling,no it’s not really grumbling it’s like there are 10 anti-war protesters putting up a human barrier in your stomach that indicates ” No More.”
I have heard all about the wall from one of my favorite TV shows, Man Vs Food.
The host goes around the U.S attempting all different types of food challenges, including multiple wing challenges.
I’ve seen him power through much tougher challenges than this, so I used him as my inspiration. I recalled when he took down five pounds of nachos in Michigan or ate six of the hottest wings in the World in Detroit.
I finished my 30th wing, although I must admit it took me a couple extra bites to get it down.
The next round came out.
The smell that once brought me delight now made me nauseous. The sauce that once electrified my taste buds now felt thick and disgusting.
My only chance at eating more wings was to go to my secret weapon.
The bleu cheese.
I had held off eating it so far because I knew it would only fill my stomach quicker, but this was the Superbowl and I needed to pull a Mario Manningham out of my hat, I needed to play a David Frese in the World Series, I needed to pull kobe during the… damn well Kobe is always clutch.
I used the Blue Cheese to change up the taste in a hope to ignite my hunger once more.
I smothered my 31st wing in the thick,creamy, and magnificent dressing.
31 down.
I was no longer in the lead. The wrestler had overtaken me for the top spot, which should not come as a surprise considering he spent that last three months eating nothing more than lettuce and carrots. He was making up for lost time and he quickly passed by sucking the meat of his 36th wing.
I downed my thirty second wing… and then it happened.
I felt it.
I was full.
There was just no space left.
I peered down to my sauce covered plate, 3 wings looked back at, they were taunting me. They knew they had beat me yet again, it was the same look Hempfield or Township has after we lose another close game to them. That look of supreme satisfaction in conquering your opponent.
I put my head down in defeat.
Once again I would emerge as the loser.
At the end of the day I was $10 poorer,had gotten wing stains on my shirt, drove 45 minutes, and had put myself into a serious food coma.
I definitely left the Peanut Bar full, but far from satisfied.
What is the state of the District? No really, what is it?
With the economy in its current state and so much news about the rising cost of public pension plans, many wonder where Penn Manor will be in the scheme of taxes, budget cuts and the future of education. Students and staff have already felt the wrath of cuts in supplies and programs but if things don’t change, or if costs take another turn for the worse, will Penn Manor be prepared and ready to take on future challenges and ensure that top priorities remain attainable?
“We are not looking to make big reductions next year. However, deficits for future years will require more consideration,” said district superintendent Mike Leichliter.
Penn Manor’s business manager Chris Johnston had a few things to say regarding the district’s budget, the same information he presented at recent State of the District meetings.
According to Johnston, Penn Manor spent 48 percent of its 2011-2012 budget on salaries, 10 percent on health care and 10 percent on other benefits. The other 32 percent was spent on other expenses. Other expenses include transportation, mortgage, school supplies, equipment, utilities and anything else it takes to run a school.
Jump ahead a few years and the projected percentages for spending for 2016-2017 will change a small percentage, but there is no telling how much these small changes will affect the district and those within it. Salaries drop to 45 percent , health care is 11 percent, as other benefits will rise to 16 percent and other expenses will drop to 28 percent.
The proportion of money spent on particular categories is changing. It’s not that the district will be spending less money on salaries in the year 2016-2017, but that the proportion of money spent in each area will change. More money spent on pension means less money to other expenses such as school supplies. Johnston explained how this change is not just a Penn Manor problem, it’s an issue facing the entire state.
This funding gap is a big issue facing the district. It is the difference between the school’s revenue compared to what the school will pay out in expenses.
Funding gap between expenses and revenue.
According to Johnston, the district is unable to raise revenue fast enough to keep pace with everything it has been able to afford in the past.
“We expect to have our expenses increase at a higher rate than revenue can keep up with,” said Johnston.
Johnston explained that the school board has a few options. First, they are able to raise taxes which could help offset using money in the savings account a little faster, however the amount that they’re able to increase taxes by is limited by state law. The other option, which the district has already seen, is to cut back on expenses.
Aside from the funding gap issue, there is a greater problem at hand. One that will effect the district for many years to come, said Johnston.
“The mandated increases in pension funding is the number one financial issue facing the district in the next decade,” explained Johnston. “Coupled with rising health care costs, which all businesses are facing, school districts all over the state will need to cut back in many areas to save money.”
He said since most expenses are in salaries, cuts will center around retooling class offerings and the way education is delivered.
“It’s difficult to see what our schools will look like in five years,” said Johnston.
Johnston assured that the district has been discussing options to tackle this crisis for a few years now. They have included members of the community to see what input they could offer, as well as to see what mattered most to them.
“We plan to scale back in many areas rather than cutting a whole program. We realize that a well-rounded student needs a well-rounded education and our plan is to maintain choice and diversity as we move forward,” said Johnston.
Where some kids value sports and others enjoy music or the arts, Johnston explained that the district will not be cutting any one of those specific areas completely, rather they will be scaling back existing offerings, in each of those areas, in an attempt to save money.
” [We] are trying to reduce a little of everything as apposed to eliminating anything, “said Johnston.
In times of trouble such as these, it is reassuring to know that Penn Manor has seen this issue arising and has been preparing to take on the challenge.
“The district has been planning for the upcoming fiscal problems since 2003 by adding to our fund balance,” said Johnston. (He said to think of this as the district’s savings account). “The school board has been very proactive in dealing with this and has had the foresight to build our savings up to its current level (about $13 million). The good news is that we have savings to help us ease into the crisis. It won’t make the crisis go away, but it helps by giving us time to plan our steps and work out the details before we act. “
The Penn Manor boys volleyball team came out with another emphatic win Thursday night and this time they worked their charms against their archrivals Hempfield.
The Comets are unbeaten this season with a record of 6-0 so far.
“The game was very intense going back and forth between each team,” said senior spectator Kara Overmeyer, “I could barely handle it.”
The Comets have not beaten the Black Knights in league play since 2005. This win brought out a lot of emotion from both teams, but more from the group of seniors on the Comet squad.
Joey Jackson spikes ball into opposing side of the court. Photo Credit http://llleaguesports.com/podcast-penn-manors-joey-jackson/17960/
“We knew going into the game that it was going to be a battle, but I had no idea how intense it was going to be and after we gave it our all it really meant something,” said senior outside hitter Joey Jackson.
The Comets won the match in five games. This was a struggle for them considering they lost two of the first three games of the match.
After the first three games they [the Comets] found new energy deep inside and won games four and five of the match sealing their hard fought victory.
This victory brought back sweet memories of the 2005 Penn Manor Boys Volleyball team that was assembled and made it all the way to the state semi-final game where they came up short against New Oxford.
“As long as we stay mentally strong and keep our confidence high we have a shot at states,” predicted senior setter Cheyenne Weber.
Penn Manor seniors Dayonte Dixon and Dylan Weber both had very strong offensive play during the match.
Dixon had 17 kills and Weber had one less with 16 kills.
This burst of offensive power was too much for Hempfield to handle even though their kill leader, Garrett Dimm, had 21.
On the defensive side of Penn Manor’s team, Junior Mark Dano played very well as the team’s libero, recording 19 digs to help secure the Comet’s victory.
This win was not only a big win because it was against Hempfield, but it was also huge because Hempfield is one of PVCA’s top ten team in the state.
This records the Comet’s fourth win this season against a team of this caliber.
These teams include Lower Dauphin, Pennridge, Dallastown, and Hempfield.
All were top ten teams in the state when the came across Penn Manor’s path and failed to overcome the Comet’s.
With a long season still at stake, this momentous victory will surely help the Comet’s chain together many more wins.
The next Penn Manor – Hempfield showdown will be at Hempfield on May 8.
Hempfield will most likely come out seeking revenge.
“This win goes a long way but this is just one match. We’ll see this team again and they will be just as good if not better: We’re going to have to have just as big a fight,” said Penn Manor Head Coach Chris Telesco in an article published by Lancaster Newspapers.
“We don’t like each other,” Pittsburgh Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby said. “You can dissect it all you want, but the fact is we don’t like each other.”
Over the next two weeks, the home-state teams will play up to seven times.
When it comes to rivalries in sports, people are quick to name the ones that get the most media coverage: North Carolina-Duke, Yankees-Red Sox, Michigan-Ohio State. The sport of hockey is often overlooked in terms of searching for a fierce rivalry.
Even casual fans of the National Hockey League can come to a consensus that the rivalry between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins is about as nasty as rivalries get in sports. The rivalry is better known as The Battle of Pennsylvania.
“It’s a good rivalry and is going to make for an intense series,” said Penn Manor High School senior, Matt Kersic.
The two teams meet six times in the regular season, because they have the luck of playing in the same division in the Eastern Conference. This particular season, the Flyers won four of the six meetings.
Matt Fox, a Penguins fan, has a Sidney Crosby cut-out in his classroom
The same two clubs have the opportunity to meet up to seven more times when they square off in the quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Science teacher at Penn Manor, Matt Fox, a hockey fan, agreed with Kersic. “It’s a good rivalry that has evolved over the years.”
Since their inductions into the league, the Flyers and Penguins have had bad blood every time they’ve been in competition. In more recent memory, there was a scrum involving Scott Hartnell and Nicklas Grossmann of the Flyers, and Chris Kunitz and Paul Martin of the Penguins during the meeting on March 18. Hartnell would later add insult to injury and score the game winning goal with 0.9 seconds remaining on the clock in the overtime period.
Flyers coach, Peter Laviolette (right), arguing with Penguins assistant coach, Tony Granato (left)
Just two weeks later, the fisticuffs picked up where they left off. With the game out of hand, the Flyers were up on the Penguins 6-3. Sidney Crosby whacked Flyer rookie winger Brayden Schenn. In an act of retaliation, Schenn cross-checked him in the back. Crosby looked for a call, but the officials considered the play to be even at that point.
Dan Bylsma then sent his checking-line out to respond to Schenn’s cross-check. Penguins center Joe Vitale lined up a devastating hit on a Flyers key-forward, Danny Briere, and as a result, a brawl ensued.
All 10 players on the ice engaged in the brawl, and coaches even standing on the boards exchanged words with one another.
Flyers coach Peter Laviolette was displeased that their checking-line was sent on in the closing moments of a game that was well out of hand.
“It’s gutless of their coach to send them out there. That line until that point didn’t play for twelve minutes. It’s just a gutless move.”
The hockey world will be watching the series closely, knowing the animosity that resides between the two teams.
In Penn Manor, there seems to be a split among students and staff and all of a sudden, it becomes a matter of taking sides.
The brawl between the Penguins-Flyers on April 1
Penn Manor Senior James Frese, a Penguins fan, believes Pittsburgh has too much firepower for the Flyers to handle. “The powerhouse of Kunitz, Neal, and Malkin will be hard for the Flyers to stop,” he said.
Another Penn Manor Senior, Chris Flemming, is a Flyers fan. “I think Bryzgalov will have to be on his A-game for the Flyers to do well,” said Flemming. “The Flyers will win the series though, no doubt.”
“I think the Flyers will win the series in five games,” said Penn Manor junior, Matt Gue.
Professional predictions go against both Gue and Flemming, however. Out of 16 predictions on the NHL.com, 12 writers are picking the Penguins to win the first-round against the Flyers, but 10 of those same 12 writers picked the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup.
For as evenly matched as the two teams are on paper and in the six previous meetings, 75 percent of the predictions going to one side seems a little out of balance.
That’s why they play the game though.
In six regular season meetings, the Flyers won four out of the six contests. In two of the cases, the Flyers have erased two 2-0 deficits to win, 3-2 on March 18, and 6-4 on April 1 respectively.
The regular season means nothing come playoff time though. Most people refer to the playoffs as, “The Second Season,” because everything that happened in the “first” season, is out the window. Anything can happen.
This series has the most hype going into the playoffs, and it will certainly draw the attentions of many in Pennsylvania, let alone, the entire hockey world.
April is here and spring is in the air which means one thing: Major League Baseball is back. The new season kicked off in Miami on Wednesday night (games played in another country do not count as the kick-off to the season) as the defending champs St. Louis Cardinals beat the new look Miami Marlins. That game began the marathon that is the MLB season.
What to expect this baseball season in both the National and American League?
In the American League the defending pennant winners the Texas Rangers look strong and could be the team to beat with their always dangerous lineup, and the addition of Yu Darvish and Neftali Feliz to their rotation. The L.A. Angels of Anaheim won’t make it easy for the Rangers to repeat in the West with their off-season acquisitions of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson.
In the Central Division the Detroit Tigers are the team to beat. They added another powerful bat in Prince Fielder to pair up with Miguel Cabrera in the middle of their lineup to help support returning American League MVP Justin Verlander on the mound. The American League East looks to be much more muddled than the other two divisions. Realistically there are three teams that could end up on top in that division when the season is over: the Red Sox, Yankees or Rays. All have their issues, but all of them have enough strengths that could propel them to the top of their division.
April means that another season of baseball is back. Photo from talksportsphilly.com
In the National League the defending World Series champs will try to repeat without the game’s best hitter, Albert Pujols who went to the Angels, and without their long time manager Tony La Russa, who decided to call it quits while he was at the top. The Cardinals have to play in the well balanced Central Division where no team is far and above better but no team, excluding the Astros, is far from contending. In the East the hometown Phillies have plenty of issues all surrounded around the fact that they can’t hit. The rotation with three aces though will keep them around all summer and in contention for the division to the end. They will have to fight off the up and coming Washington Nationals, the new look Miami Marlins, and the perennial playoff team Atlanta Braves if they want to repeat as National League East Champions. The National League West looks to wilder than ever as the surprising Arizona Diamondbacks burst on the scene last year and will surely be competing for the division title again this year. The San Francisco Giants can always be counted on to have a competitive team with the rotation that the boast, and the return of young star Buster Posey. The Diamondbacks though were able to make a few off-season additions to go along with their strong young nucleus centered around Ian Kennedy and Justin Upton that will keep them on top in the West.
The Major League Baseball marathon has begun, and is sure to be an exciting summer filled with lots of baseball. The only thing that we can expect for sure is that something unexpected will happen, whether that be a team falling from the top, or a surprise team rocketing to the top. Get ready for a season full of twist and turns just like any other baseball season.
The Penn Manor Rocket Club has been invited once again to the 2012 national competition.
The tenth Annual National Rocket Competition will be held May 12 in Manassas, Va.
Out of 680 teams across the country, 100 were chosen to participate in the competition, and six out of seven teams from Penn Manor made it. In fact, two of those six teams are middle school teams.
Penn Manor’s 2010 Rocket Club after winning internationals, from left, Brian Osmolinski, Brendan Stoeckl, Nate Bernhardt, Tyler Funk, Jordan Franssen. Courtesy of rocketryplanet.com
“I am always nervous [when going to nationals] but I’m definitely excited because it is the pinnacle of the rocket season. These kids have worked very hard all year long and deserve a shot at the National Title,” said Brian Osmolinski, head adviser of the club.
The club has been established for ten years, and has made it to nationals each year.
In 2010, the team even made it to the international competition, beating teams from England and France.
However, since the team did not make it to the international competition last year, one club member said she feels the club has been “forgotten” by the school and public.
“I wouldn’t say we’ve been forgotten. The chances of us going to internationals is very small, it’s an honor to go to nationals. It’s something to be proud of,” said Mark Raymond, a four year rocket club member.
Before Raymond joined the club as a freshmen, he had experience building rockets as a boy scout.
“It was fun [building rockets] so I tried it in high school, and I liked it,” said Raymond.
Having fun is the main goal Osmolinski tries to instill within his program.
“My initial goals [for the club] were to have teams of students cooperatively build rockets for this competition, learn how rocketry works, and have fun doing it,” said Osmolinski.
But the day of nationals is more than just having fun, it’s about winning.
“My biggest fear is that a rocket explodes on the pad for the team’s one shot,” said Osmolinski.
For that reason, the club builds back-up rockets, to ensure they are prepared.
They are not only prepared with their supplies, they are prepared mentally.
“I tend to worry about particular details but I constantly remind myself that the rocket kids know what they are doing and make good decisions all the time. It’s in their hands. I have equipped them with all the tools they need. It’s up to them to make it happen,” stated Osmolinski.
The six teams that will be attending nationals are:
Team 1
Alex Cauler
Mark raymond
David Herr
Colby Sangrey
Jonathan Martin
Team 2
Eric Keefer
Austin Rineer
Adam Zangari
Ian Tahmasbi
Team 3
Maggie McClintock
Cate Shipley
Gabie Bauman
Chris Cuascut
Team 4
Andrew Lobos
Ben Thomas
Jack Battle
Chris Mummau
Team 5
Sam Cauler
Chris Knight
Zach Holsinger
Team 6
Shawn Stone
Jesse Stoner
Tom Sowers
Wyatt Shiffler
According to Osmolinski, the students are a bit nervous preparing for nationals, but they are also very excited.
They only have one shot, and hopefully they will soar.
Facebook’s trying to keep on getting bigger, buying Instagram for a billion dollars in cash should do it.
“Facebook is just becoming another Myspace, Instagram and Twitter is the only thing I get on anymore,” said Penn Manor junior Kyle Musser.
Facebook announced April 9, that it would buy Instagram for $1 billion. It was Facebook’s largest acquisition to date.
Instagram is an app that has the same type of goal that Facebook and Twitter has. It’s a social networking tool that lets people snap photos and enhance them to their liking. After the picture has been edited, the picture can be tagged at someone or just shared with friends. The pictures will allowed to be viewed by people and liked or commented on. It is the top free app on the Apple Store and Android Market.
Instagram top free app Photo from Instagram
“This number one trending app is so easy and fun,” said Musser.
“Being on Instagram is like being on a vacation to a whole variety of places, it’s like no other social network,” said Penn Manor senior Logan Kramer.
Why did Facebook buy this app?
It’s probably not because of the 30 million users on Instagram. Since Facebook has 850 million.
One reason might be because it just simply could. Facebook has slightly under $4 billion. Another reason is because it didn’t want any other social network to buy it.
People go on Facebook to look at other people’s pictures and the company wants to keep it that way.
“Facebook is having a midlife crisis, and the acquisition of the beloved, hip photo-sharing app is its equivalent of buying a sportscar,” according to an article in Forbes.com.
Many people were worried that Instagram would become another perverted and annoying social network as Facebook is being seen as now. Words that keep being thrown around are ‘Facebook-y’ and ‘Facebook-ified.’ A lot of users don’t want to see Instagram go down the same path, according to an article from CNN.com.
“I hate logging on Facebook and all I see is nasty pictures, I hope Instagram doesn’t do the same now,” said Penn Manor junior Josh Lefever.
No need to worry, Facebook company representatives said that they weren’t going to change Instagram. Facebook created and abandoned a photo sharing app before and a lot of people were upset with it. So, Facebook says ‘why mess with an app when everyone already loves it’, according to an article from Businessinsider.com.
Everyone is waiting to see how long Instagram will stay number one.
So where are you going to college? No, really, what have you decided?
Is it going to be the campus life, academics, athletics, location, or the cost of the college?
It is now the beginning of April, and time is dwindling for the 2012 senior class members to decide their future school.
According to Todd Cooley from examiner.com the top five reasons in helping students choose a college are academics, location, cost, size, and acceptance rate.
Number one: The top factor in deciding your college is academics and majors. The school needs to fit your desired major. The first thing you should look at is to see if they have your major, if not you may want to reconsider your options.
“I was being recruited by many schools, but as I looked further into these schools I crossed off all the schools without my desired major,” said senior Marc Summy who plans to major in premed.
“You don’t want to attend a school just to play a sport or for other unimportant reasons, the school you pick needs to fulfill all of your top requirements, including your desired major,” said Summy.
Even though the Penn Manor guard plans to play basketball in college, it’s not going to be the major factor in deciding his school, he said.
A college classroom
Number two: Where is your college located? Is it a two hour drive from your hometown, or is it a $150 flight from Orlando to your local airport? Some people want to be away from home, but at the same close enough to home that they could make it home in one night if they really need something or just want to see their family. If you’re one of those people, location needs to be at the top of your priority list.
“My biggest factor in my decision making for college is definitely the cost and location of the college,” said senior Reagan Forrey who is deciding between Millersville, West Chester, Shippensburg and West Virginia.
“I don’t want to be too far away where I’d have to take a plane home, but I don’t want to be too close where I’d feel at home,” said Forrey.
Number three: How expensive is your college? Paying for college is one of the top fears from prospective college students. Not to mention, it is by far the top fear of the parents. Cost of college is skyrocketing in the past decade. As the colleges you look at become more prestigious, the price range rises as well. When a school’s price is out of your range, seeking financial aid is a viable option for many students.
“In this economy I don’t want debt after college that I’d have to pay back afterwards,” said Forrey.
Number four: How long does it take you to get from one side of campus to the other? If it takes you over an hour to get across campus to your class, it may be too big of a campus. You want to be close enough to all of your classes, recreational places or the cafeteria so you don’t have to walk in the rain or snow for an hour to get their. Also, how many people attend your school? Some people prefer to have a small school where you meet everybody and no one is a stranger. Others prefer to have a big school atmosphere, either way it’s your preference.
“When I was picking my college, I took all of my visits to my prospective schools and really thought about the size of each school and how big the campus was. It was a very important factor in my college choice, I would hate to take an hour each day transporting to classes,” said senior Sara Bennis.
Number five: What’s your chances of getting into this school? If the school is out of your range you might not want to send in your application, just to save yourself some money. Know your limits and apply to schools that are in your acceptance range. You can log onto www.collegeboard.com and search what each school’s requirements are.
“I was really interested in Johns Hopkins University, I was talking to the basketball coach of the school and he was very interested in me,” said Summy. “It is one of the top medical schools in the country, and I want to be a doctor so I was really into it.”
“Then he got to telling me all the requirements I needed to get into the school, and I started to reconsider it, the requirements were insane, and at that point I knew it wouldn’t work,” said Summy.
When it comes time for your choice, using all of these factors will narrow down your choices.
