College decision day is right around the corner – all seniors will have made their decision by May 1 – and many seniors are frantically collecting acceptance letters, weighing their options and attempting to choose which school will be their home for the next four years. Here are a few seniors planning for next year:

Alie Slagle
Michigan State University

“I was basically born into an MSU cheerleading outfit,” said Slagle about her family tradition and life-long dream of attending Michigan State University. The majority of Slagle’s family, including both of her parents, attended MSU, and Slagle said she wants to be a part of that tradition. MSU is located in East Lansing, Michigan and has about 36,700 undergrads. The only issue is that MSU falls outside of the family’s “5-hour rule,” which requests that all family members choose a college within five hours of Orono. “They offer one of the best packaging schools, and they have a new program with both packaging and engineering,” Slagle said. “I’m most excited for the sports,” said Slagle, “and to be a part of a family tradition.”

Zac HofkesUniversity of St. Thomas

Zac Hofkes is headed to University of St. Thomas next fall to study mechanical engineering. “They know what they’re doing … there’s a really good five-year program,” said Hofkes. Located in St. Paul, the University of St. Thomas is a Catholic university with about 6300 undergraduates. Hofkes said he fell in love with the school the first time he visited. “It felt like home – really nice people, really pretty, and really unique.” He said that the students were extremely friendly, and they have a “sweet student center.” He is most excited for the increased freedom that comes with college. “Living on my own is going to be great.”

Haley Johnson
University of Wisconsin – Madison

Though her parents both attended UW Madison, Haley Johnson wasn’t convinced that it was the school for her until she set foot on campus herself. “Everyone seemed so excited about being there,” she said, which is a lot of people, considering that there are 42,600 students enrolled there. UW Madison boasts one of the best engineering schools in the Midwest, and though she’s not sure exactly what she wants to study – she’s considering computer science – the university offers a diverse variety of majors with first-year focus groups, which, along with football games, are what Johnson looks forward to most.
Adam Aasen
University of Vermont or University of New Hampshire

Adam Aasen found himself torn between these two similar universities. He said that he had always considered the University of New Hampshire a top choice, but Vermont caught his attention with its similarities and the city of Burlington. The University of Vermont has about 10,200 undergraduate students, and the University of New Hampshire is slightly larger, with about 12,800 undergraduates. “They academically fit me and I think I can get a good job out of those schools,” he said. They are also both out east, which he appreciates. Aasen plans to major in biology, but hasn’t decided on a concentration towards a particular career yet.

Abbey Saville
Rotary Youth Exchange to Columbia

“I really like to try new things and experience different cultures,” said Abbey Saville about her impending travels to Columbia. “People ask why I don’t just wait to study abroad in college, but why not do both?” Saville’s sister Talia also participated in the Rotary Exchange, which made her more comfortable with the program and the idea of leaving for a year. Though she isn’t sure of her college plans following her 11 month stay in Columbia, she made sure to prepare for the gap year by taking many AP courses this year. Saville said that she will miss her family and friends the most, as well as the familiarity of the Orono community, but said she is excited “to see a different lifestyle and experience a different culture.”

Maddie Mayhew is the Editor in Chief – Online for The Spartan Speaks.