I believe that attending school in another state than that of your home state is better for college students. Going to college in a state that is not the one you reside in is better because it gives you an opportunity to go out and explore a new city, town or just simply a new way of living.

My one goal when I was looking for colleges was to get the heck out of Indy. And I did exactly that. I will be attending St. Edward’s University this fall, which is a Holy Cross school rooted right in the heart of the beautiful city of Austin, Texas.

Most people say that they stay in-state for college for financial reasons. I went where the money took me as well. I was fortunate enough to be awarded the highest scholarship offered to a student at St. Ed’s, the Moreau scholarship award, which is offered to one student at each of the Holy Cross high schools throughout the country who applies to St. Ed’s.

A lot of other schools out of state offer lots of money, too. Schools in the Southeastern Conference such as the University of Alabama are handing money out the wazoo to kids in the Midwest. Many of the out-of-state schools give enough scholarship money to out-of-state students to make it feel as if you’re paying an in-state expense.

I believe that going out of state for college gives people a new perspective on life as well. Students who attend an out-of-state college will get the chance to explore a new culture. Some of the cultures students will get to encounter may have minimal or perhaps Jurassic differences. 

When I was talking to other adults about my college options, I was telling them that I really wanted to go somewhere that is not in Indiana. Many of them told me that an out-of-state school helped them have a different and better view of the American culture as a whole. My aunt told me, “You can’t just stay in Indiana forever. Go out and explore the world.”

Attending an out-of-state school also gives you an opportunity to meet many new people, more new people than you would meet at an in-state school. Nobody who went to Cathedral this year is headed to St. Edward’s with me, so I will have to meet and make a whole new group of friends, which is new and exciting for me and also nerve-racking. But I’m up for the challenge.