The Journey to Newhouse
It’s the time of year when campus tours are in full swing. Acceptance letters landed in mailboxes, and fingers nervously tore apart at the paper to furiously scan the letter for those all-important words — we are pleased to offer you an acceptance to.” Two years ago I was waiting with excitement and nervousness to find out if I would be going to my top choice school. For me, Newhouse was the only place I wanted to go. I researched all the communications schools I wanted to attend, and I’d spent time visiting as many as I could. My family vacations turned into trips just so I could take school tours, see the campuses and figure out where I wanted to be.
As a Canadian, coming down to the USA doesn’t seem like that big a deal. But it is. When the decision you’re making may change the trajectory of your life, it’s not a decision to make lightly.
This week I had the opportunity to sit outside and enjoy the rays of sunshine that winter clouds had hidden for the last few month. As I sat outside, I watched multiple campus tours exit the doors of Newhouse 3 with wide-eyed wonder. Newhouse tends to leave that impression on you. It’s a state of the art facility with top of the line equipment, filled with incredible faculty and brimming with some of the most talented and intelligent students on campus.
I visited Syracuse in January 2013 during one of the coldest winters the Northeastern U.S. had ever experienced. The phenomenon had a name: The Polar Vortex. That was my first introduction to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Temperatures were so far below zero that even as a Canadian, I was wondering what I’d gotten myself into. Campus was empty because students were still on winter break, and even though I was the only student coming to visit Newhouse, the staff at the Graduate Records Office made sure that I was well taken care of. I received a full tour of Newhouse from Advertising Chair Dr. James Tsao. He sat down to discuss the program with me, answered all my questions and made sure I caught my train back to Canada.
When I returned to Canada, I went through all the material Dr. Tsao gave me. I researched the faculty and staff, studied for my GRE (stressed out about that quantitative section), applied to Newhouse and hoped for the best. When my acceptance letter arrived in February 2015, I was elated. From my research and that singular interaction, Newhouse was all I wanted. When you accept your offer to Newhouse it starts a chain of events that will change the trajectory of your life.
From my first interaction until now, Newhouse treats me like an individual. My professors know my name and I feel comfortable popping into their offices just to chat. The professors care about your success, not just in their classes, but also outside of it. They will help you however they can, even if that means listening to you complain about classes you really don’t like.
When you’re at Newhouse you will be challenged, but you will also be rewarded like no other experience.
