[*winter*]

Excellent article, AST. Thanks. So much to think about…

“The entire nation is facing a projected demographic cliff in 2026, but Pennsylvania is on the bleeding edge, hemorrhaging residents faster than 46 other states, according to 2022 census data.“

Yeah, I might be on my way out myself (again)…

“Rural Pennsylvania is not thriving … we wanted to make sure that our students were going to college locally, meaning within 75 miles of home, and then the likelihood of them staying after they graduate goes up exponentially“

This sounds good in theory…but after living in many rural counties over the past twenty years…there are a limited amount of employment opportunities. If the county seat- the happening place- only has a population of 6,000…it’s not going to be able to keep a significant number of college graduates gainfully employed. (Being PA, I feel like I should add the caveat of “unless you want to work in the mining or corrections industries.”)

Other states are offering free tuition. Or, kids can go to OOS schools that are looking to draw in high achievers with large scholarships. My friend’s daughter was one such student; she basically got offered a free ride at USC (South Carolina) and now has an outstanding business degree with zero debt. (And, let’s face it, probably had an overall better experience socially, networking wise and of course…weather wise.)

You leave…then you start to network, build relationships, do internships in your new state. Why come back to a bunch of cornfields after all that?

The #1 thing I tell anyone who asks me for advice on picking a college is- you’re purchasing a product. You’re going to want to get the best bang for your buck…it’s an investment. Compare everything. Get the best deal and shop around. Don’t make an impulsive decision based on emotions (close to BF or home, knowing lots of people). This is your future. Put yourself out there.