October 2003

I went to a college fair in Gorham on Sunday. I suppose I was expecting more from it, because I did not find it too impressive. The event was held in a gymnasium. About 150 colleges from all over the United States were in attendance. A sort of carnival atmosphere reigned as hundreds of students milled around the room, trying to find the perfect college.

I fought my way through to the first college on the alphabetical list that I was interested in: Husson. Maybe it was because she was the first person I talked to that day, but the representative from Husson made the school sound very impressive. I was formerly under the impression that Husson was a school for nontraditional students seeking a college education. I believed that the school had very little to offer me as a traditional student in the top of my graduating class. The representative was able to push some of those assumptions out of my mind.

Springfield was next in line. That visit was unproductive, as the representative was an alumnus who did not know much about individual programs.

University of New England was very impressive. The representative was passionate about the school and managed to transfer a little of his enthusiasm to my family and I. He shared with me that the Physical Therapy program is a seven year Doctorate degree. (Currently, many PT programs are five to six year Master’s programs. However, trends seem to show that the PT profession will eventually give preference to candidates with advanced degrees, such as Doctorates.) I could get a full undergraduate experience, then get my Doctorate in only three additional years. The school is also in a great location right by the ocean. Another point of interest is the school’s proximity to home; it is only about an hour and a half away.

On the drive home, my parents questioned me about what schools I was most interested in and why. My top choice was UNE for all the reasons listed above. It is also an excellent school for health professions. My second choice would have to be Quinnipiac, even though that school did not have a table at the fair. As a PT recommended the school to me, I figure it must have a good program. When we finally got home, I was inspired by the day’s adventures. I got right to work on my applications.