Maria McFarland: Soaring on as a Juniata College Eagle
College Bound Q&A
Maria McFarland
BluePrint: What college were you accepted into?
McFarland: I was accepted into Juniata College.
BluePrint: How many colleges did you apply to?
McFarland: I only applied to two; Juniata and University of Pittsburgh.
BluePrint: What made you apply to this specific college?
McFarland: I really love the campus and they have a great pre-medical program. I also like how small the classes are. I applied because they had a free application and managed to get it. Not only was I accepted, but I also received the M.G. Brumbaugh scholarship, which will provide $22,000 per year!
BluePrint: What are you planning on majoring in?
McFarland: They don’t have ‘majors’ at Juniata College, but my area of study will be Biology, Chemistry, and Nutrition.
BluePrint: What made you choose this specific major?
McFarland: I want to go to medical school eventually, so these will give me the qualifications to get accepted into one. It’s complicated because I don’t want to major in premedical because if I choose not to go to medical school, I can do more with my planned degree than a pre-med degree.
BluePrint: What do you think will be some of the major differences between college and high school?
McFarland: It will be really different living away from home and not seeing my friends every day. I’m going to have to be more self-reliant (aka not depend on my mom to wake me up every morning!).
BluePrint: What are your feelings on moving on from Bellwood-Antis High School?
McFarland: I’m excited to start the college chapters of my life, but it is sad leaving Bellwood-Antis. I know I’ll love college, but at the same time, I’m going to miss seeing my friends on such a regular basis.
Juniata College is a private college located in the Alleghany Mountains in central Pennsylvania. The NCAA Division III was founded in 1876 and has a 95% graduation rate for students who planned to go to college for four years. The 1,600+ students who attend Juniata College have over 75 student-run organizations, but no fraternities and sororities. Tuition for the small town college is just under $40,000 with 100% of the students who were judged to need financial aid received some form of it.
