A global pandemic cannot stop WHS seniors from celebrating their college decisions. This year, the class of 2021 will be attending more than 170 different colleges. Rutgers University-New Brunswick reigns supreme, yet again, as the most attended university by WHS with a total of 15 students. University of Maryland and Syracuse University are tied in WHS student attendance with 12, followed by the University of Delaware with 11. Read below to find out why the aforementioned colleges are the most popular choices for the WHS Class of 2021.

RUTGERS

Rutgers University-New Brunswick is the most attended university for the second year in a row. It is just 19 miles from WHS, and is a Top 75 ranked university, according to US News & World Report. It also has a prestigious engineering school, which has influenced students to attend, including Tyler Mackey. Mackey said, “Rutgers offers 10 different engineering programs at their engineering school, including the only aerospace degree in the state. As someone who isn’t sure what type of engineering I want [to pursue] yet, being exposed to that many types will help me decide my career path.”

SYRACUSE

Syracuse University is the farthest school from WHS in the top four and is located in (you guessed it) Syracuse, New York. Syracuse is known for its frigid temperatures and raucous basketball fans. Furthermore, what attracted many students, such as Rachel Simpson, to Syracuse is its positive social climate. Simpson, who is studying secondary education, said, “My favorite part about Syracuse University is how when the weather is nice out, everyone gets outside and socializes in different central parts on campus.”

MARYLAND

The Big Ten strikes again in the class of 2021’s top four. The University of Maryland, located in College Park, will be hosting 12 Westfield graduates next year. So what makes Maryland so popular? Ryan Borak has the answer. Borak, who will be attending the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, said, “Maryland had a lot of the qualities I was looking for in a school. It’s close to a major city, it has a pretty large undergrad population, a great engineering school and it’s relatively close to home but not too close.”

DELAWARE

The University of Delaware is located in Newark, Delaware and has equal proximity to both Washington D.C. and New York City. Its location, campus and teachers helped influence 11 students to attend, including Robbie Strauss. Strauss, who will be attending the School of Music and will be in the Honors College, said, “Initially, Delaware was just one of the schools that fit the criteria I was looking for: A big school with a big beautiful marching band. But the music professors there seem to really care about their students, more than I found in other schools.”