College Acceptances Update

For most Jamesville-DeWitt High School seniors, it’s a good time of year. Students are finally starting to hear back from colleges after the tedious application process. When Brendon Schunck gets an acceptance letter, “it makes me feel warm inside.” This sentiment is echoed by many seniors at J-DHS, who are finally starting to decide where they will go to college.

One person in the small group of students who have already decided where they will attend college is Catilin Cariseo. She has already mailed in her deposit to SUNY Oneonta. Jim Quartier is headed to SUNY Fredonia. “It just fit,” said Quartier; “It was like the perfect size and the perfect distance away.” Stephen Vallery has also made a decision about his college plans. “I’m going to be attending John Carroll University in Cleveland to play some D3 football,” said Vallery. Alex Katsarsky is going to the University of Central Florida next year. “I’ve always known I’ve wanted to go to a school in Florida,” said Katsarksy; “When I visited the campus I really felt at home. I really think it’s the best choice for me.” Abbey Smith is going to Rochester Institute of Technology to major in New Media Marketing. She described the major as “[something that] combines graphic design and business management.” Doug Elmore has chosen to attend Norwich University. “They have a major I want and the programs I want to be involved in,” said Elmore. He is interested in a career as an officer in the Marine Corps. Marquis Drummond is forgoing college to enlist in the Air Force, Paratrooper Division. Tom Keane is going to nearby Onondaga Community College in an effort to save money.

Most students have not been able to make a decision about their college plans because they have not yet heard back from their top choices. Jesse Evensky has heard from four of the seven schools he applied to, but not his top choice, Tulane University. Megan Whitbeck hasn’t heard from her top choice, SUNY Cortland. “I really like their campus and their education program is really good,” said Whitbeck. She has already been accepted to the University of Rochester and Nazareth College. Steven Middleton has whittled his list down to three colleges: Le Moyne College, Nazareth College, and SUNY IT. Financial aid packages will play a role in his decision. “Hopefully I’ll be able to stay out of debt in the future,” he said. Schunck has to choose between Le Moyne College and Siena College, the latter of which he has not heard back from yet. Josh Kiesa is still waiting for a response from RIT and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He wants to major in computer science at one of those colleges.

Every student has a different dream school and every one of those dream schools has something special that draws these students. “I think the biggest thing for me is a pretty setting,” said Evensky; “If you’re gonna be there for four years it might as well look good to you.” Charlene Adame’s top choice is the University of Connecticut. “It’s really pretty and the weather is much nicer than in Syracuse,” she said. Dan Canfield applied to schools like Wake Forest University, American University and Northeastern University because “they’re far, far away.” Amani Jackson wants to go to Hobart and William Smith College because his brother goes there and he loves the small-town feel of the campus. Alec Thompson has a more simple reason for liking the University of Buffalo. “It’s fricking sick there. It’s mad fun,” he said. Ryan Peters likes SUNY Oswego because “it’s by the water.” Ben Shapiro wants to attend Kenyon College in Ohio. “I like the quirkiness and intellectual feel that you get there,” said Shapiro. Lucas Moller wants to go to college at Boston University. “It’s a big school. It’s in Boston. Enough said,” said Moller. Ioan Gitsov’s dream is to attend Cornell University. “I grew up around the campus, and I’d love to go full circle and head back there to attend college,” he said. Noel Williams’s top university is Le Moyne College because of its proximity to home. “I get homesick easily so it’d be nice to just come home whenever I can,” said Williams.

Lots of students applied to Syracuse University as a safety school, but for some students it is their top choice. Pete Drescher applied to SU because he wants to stay at home. He also wants to watch his current teammate DaJuan Coleman play basketball for the Orange. John Gallauresi wants to go to SU, too. “I just like it there. It’s a nice college,” he said. Koy Adams wants to attend SU because of his father’s work with the Say Yes to Education program, which would provide Adams with financial benefits.