Things You Thought When Applying to SBU

Do you remember when you were waiting to receive your acceptance letter? You could have been a nervous wreck or waited patiently for the decision. One of the most annoying memories of a student’s experience mostly is dreading that the worst will occur. Back in those days, I felt anxious, though I’m pretty sure some current students had a positive experience. The only thought that used to run through my mind in those weeks was whether SBU would hand me a rejection or acceptance letter.

Although it sounds cliché, most of us are from Long Island. Now that I think about it, I used to think about SBU being the perfect opportunity for my college experience because it was in close proximity to my hometown and also had a reputation as a great research school. Even better, there is the Long Island Railroad situated right on campus that the majority of our students find that pretty accommodating. 

The question you asked yourself back then was pretty simple: “Is every freshman a pre-med student here?” You thought that you will be a pre-med major all 4 full years here at SBU. Once a pre-med student, a major preconception is that the students usually stick as one till the very end. How do you all feel about the decision now? Do you still want to stick as a pre-med student till the very end?

Do you remember when you sat there in a pile of acceptance letters comparing schools? What made you look at Stony Brook in particular? Was it the education, research or arts? For you STEM majors, it was the research. Students here know that to take on SBU as a positive experience, you have to be an intellectually bright student and get involved in research. Back then, it probably seemed like a preconception that research is a good experience to add on future job applications. Now as you took a look back on your SBU years, you realize that the research in the health field works wonders for your future plans and college education. 

Remember that first scholarship that paid for some or all of your tuition and made college affordable? I still remember those days when I wanted to come to SBU to pursue my education for the affordable tuition. Remember when you first received your scholarship and how happy you were? Life in Seawolf Country became a lot easier thanks to those scholarships. 

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