February 21, 2016
The Yale League of Black Scientists collaborated with Many Mentors in their panel discussion event “Choosing the Right College for You,” a panel discussion that informed local high school students about how to navigate college applications and college life. Check out YLBS member, and panelist Anthony Scruse’s responses to the discussion questions.
How did you decide which college you wanted to go to? How did you know which academic environment you would be most comfortable in?
I came from a high school where I was able to interact closely with my teachers and I wanted to maintain that level interaction in college, so large state schools with hundreds of students in intro classes were off the table. I also wanted the opportunity to pursue a wide range of academic interests like chemistry and music so a liberal arts curriculum was also ideal. I wasn’t necessarily sold on going to an HBCU like Morehouse, but my mother encouraged me to apply and I got a full scholarship, making my decision very easy.
Did you know what degree you wanted, or what career path you wanted to take when you applied to college? Did that influence which schools you applied to or chose? ((Note- if you didn’t know, that is also valuable to share with the students! If you switched majors, was your college/university supportive of that?)
I had taken three years of chemistry in high school and really liked the subject and the idea of being a scientist, although I really didn’t know what that meant. I also like music and considered being a music major concentrating in trumpet performance. In the end, I chose chemistry with the intent to maintain an active participation in the musical ensembles on campus and it worked out a great.
Did you visit schools before deciding/applying? If so, how influential was your visit in your decision making? Do you have any advice for students who are not able to visit out of state schools?
I visited a few schools before applying, mostly the ones in state but I did make it to two out state schools (NYU and Morehouse). The visits allowed me to get a feel for what it was actually like to be on campus. Getting to interact with students, observe how they interact with each other and sitting in on classes allowed for a productive assessment of that institution and was a good way to rule certain schools out. My visit to Morehouse wasn’t great, and in retrospect I think it is because I had my heart set on NYU so I wasn’t really in the mindset to get the most out of the visit. Nevertheless, a full scholarship to one of the nation’s top HBCUs is very hard to turn down. I would advise students who are not able to visit schools to contact admissions offices and ask if they put them in touch with current students, or alumni who in or around that student’s home town. I would also encourage students with family near the schools of interest to ask if they would be willing to visit the school on their behalf just to get a feel for what it’s like. I’ve found that people generally love to talk about their school and while talking with someone about a school doesn’t equate to an actual visit, it’s definitely better than nothing.