Dear high school seniors: Don’t come to Hunter

Dear High School Seniors,

It’s April and you’ve been on your toes for acceptance letters. You studied countless hours for the SATs, taken honor/A.P. classes, perhaps even college credit classes too. Squeezing in extracurricular activities and a few hours of volunteer work to make your application stand out. You’ve got your eyes set on Hunter College. It’s in the middle of the great city everyone dreams to live and work at, with endless possibilities. But is it really worth it?

Hunter College has a great reputation amongst the high schools in the Tri-State area. Teachers and faculties tell their students going to a four year college is the best choice. It’s also important to consider the commute since you’ll be dealing with it a few times a week to get to class on time. You might even want to follow your friends/significant others to college so you’ll know someone from the start. But the real reason you should pick Hunter College is if it’s the right fit for you.

Don’t go to Hunter College because people say you should go here or to impress others. Go to a college which provides you with a great program for the career you’re thinking about. If this is Hunter, then great! If it’s not there are other colleges to look at.

Consider attending a college with an actual campus with large historical buildings surrounded by a great lawn. Hunter students are constantly told their campus is the city and although it’s a great saying, it isn’t that simple. Our city campus is expensive, crowded and loud. This may not be for everyone. The four buildings that make up Hunter College can hardly contain the almost 23,000 students – undergrad and graduate students.

A dilemma Hunter students know all too well are the escalators: they are either working great, being repaired or completely stalled with floods of students. You might find yourself opting for the escalators instead of the stairs, but you might still have to treat them like stairs. Even though Hunter students can be seen sitting together at basically every inch of the school, there lacks a sense of community. Since Hunter is a commuter school, it’s difficult to feel like it’s home. People come to class and leave right after to go home, work, socialize somewhere else.

It’s common to see students working on their laptops, looking at their phones or talking to a close friend. If you’re OK with putting yourself completely out there and start a random conversation with a stranger, go for it. I’ve done it and people are nice, just initially closed off. You will encounter people at Hunter from different parts of America and even the world.

The bathrooms are true testaments to student’s thoughts. At least in the women’s bathrooms. There are writings on the stall walls warning others to get out of Hunter, their regret of attending the college and their want of transferring. It’s definitely a different experience for everyone, but I don’t feel that way.

Hunter College may not be everyone’s  cup of tea but there are still great things about it. Just make sure it’s your right fit when you apply and accept. It’ll be the place you’ll spend most of your time for the next four years. I don’t regret attending Hunter College, but I do feel for students who only have negative comments because everyone deserves a great college experience.

I’ve met amazing people through interesting ways. I’ve immersed myself in activities and have done worthwhile work. I love the city’s fast paced life and I still feel awestruck seeing the Chrysler Building when I walk towards 59^th Street. There is no other college I can imagine myself at and I hope you feel the same way when you attend.