Sitting on the train, on my way to my first college interview, I tried to write a list of questions that would help me figure out what the school was really all about. After being on so many college tours, it seemed like some questions were pointless to ask. Is the food good, are the classes interesting and are the professors accessible? Who would say no? How then, do you even begin to choose a college that’s right for you?
A few weeks ago, I helped staff the Stuyvesant booth at the New York City high school fair for eighth graders. Students and their parents stood on a line stretched to the other side of the gym where we were located, just to get a chance to learn more about Stuyvesant. But when I asked prospective students if they had any questions, they often shyly shook their heads and edged away from the table. The questions students did ask were often baffling.
“Do you guys have a culinary arts program?” (No, but we have a cheese club.)
“Are the boys there cute?” (We took a poll on that one.)
“Does spelling count on English papers there?” (Yes, and for the rest of your life.)
I kept wanting to say that a culinary program would not be an important part of the high school experience. But I couldn’t blame them for asking these questions. I remember attending these fairs and Stuyvesant’s open house. At the time I was impressed with the long list of clubs, the glass boxes in the wall and the cafeteria with a view.
Only some of these things have kept their importance over the past three years.
I found that while Stuyvesant does have a huge number of extracurricular activities, many of the 100-plus clubs are defunct. It’s easy to found a club, but harder to keep it going. Stuyvesant’s real strength is not in the number of activities it offers, but in the quality and range of activities. I didn’t expect the level of theater offered at a school known for math and science, or, for that matter, the level of dedication Stuyvesant students devote to all that they do.
The truth is, many of the things I entered Stuyvesant thinking I’d never do are now my favorite subjects and activities. I would have missed out if I went to a school where there was nothing much to do after school and everyone headed for the train. The people I met simply wouldn’t have been as interesting as the friends I made while spending weekends at Stuy sewing costumes, or by joining a club on a whim.
So how do you know? How do you know what separates a school that sounds good on paper from one where students don’t want to leave because they’re so interested in what they’re doing? To a prospective student I would say: Actually read the newspaper. Go to a Stuyvesant theater performance. It will be obvious that it’s not a lonely few who do these things; passion is the norm.
When it came time to turn the tables on the interviewer, I asked him this: “If you could recommend one thing to see that would show who students here really are, what would it be?” His response: spend a night and get to know us. I wish all prospective students of Stuyvesant had that option. After spending a day at Stuyvesant, they would realize that it is really all about the students. As current students and students looking for their next school, it’s something to remember and something to look for when we leave Stuyvesant.