As daunting and stressful as the college application process may be, there were a few characteristics I looked for when picking my school and major. Going in, I knew I wanted a smaller school. I believe that a smaller and less distracting environment leads to a productive place to study and become involved. I also wanted a low faculty-to-student ratio where I could get the help and guidance I need to be able to be successful. At the college level, I did not want to just be seen as a number contributing to the status of the school.
At Cabrini University, I am not just a student, but a person as well. Another importnat characteristic while I was applying and touring schools was the location. Cabrini University is only an hour and a half from my home in Lancaster, PA. I was drawn to the location of this school over others because I have the opportunity to be in the beautiful campus environment as well as the surrounding town of Wayne, PA and short 30-minute train ride into Philadelphia. I enjoy being able to spend peaceful time on campus while also having the opportunity to go and see new places nearby.
Upon touring Cabrini, my family and I were pleasantly surprised by the number of resources provided such as the writing center, peer tutoring, and psychological services. It was encouraging to know that if needed, my future school would be able to assist me to help me succeed. As Cabrini's Mission statement addresses, this school is “dedicated to academic excellence, leadership development, and a commitment to social justice.” I received a sense of this commitment throughout my process as an applicant and now every day as a student.
In my opinion, choosing a major was a much more difficult task than choosing a school. In my case, I decided to choose a major and then find schools that offer it, not the other way around. It took me a long time to settle down on one major, as I had several ideas and tracks that I was interested in pursuing. At the beginning of this process, I was encouraged to take a series of personality tests along with quizzes that would determine the perfect major for myself. I then took those results and researched what majors would be best for my personality type. In the long run, this tedious process proved to be very beneficial as it gave me a new perspective of myself other than my own, along with how certain personalities can thrive in a given situation or series of courses.
I have always been interested in art and I am a creative thinker. I knew I wanted to pursue something in the field of the arts but was unsure of what field specifically. During this thought process, I decided on my major. I did not think it was practical enough to major in fine arts, as I thought that art in the modern world was already shifting towards a more electronic point of view. This is when I found Graphic Design. In this major, I am still able to think and produce projects in a creative way, while learning the technical skills that have grown very useful and necessary in today's society. I also plan on minoring in marketing where I can learn the proper business skills to market the graphics I create. I am excited to see how these topics can work together and make me a more well-rounded student during my four years at Cabrini University.
From this point on the pieces of choosing a major and a university fell into place. I found a promising school that fit my needs and that taught the major and minor of my liking. As a second semester freshman, I am happy with both of my academic choices and the process I used to get to this point. I hope my perspective is insightful for prospective students of Cabrini University or any students struggling with applications and the process of picking a major. These are very big and important decisions that will change the course of a student's life, I hope my tips and resources serve as encouragement and will make this exciting process easier for the incoming students at the collegiate level.