Today the Staples community sees really only one option once you finish high school. Almost everyone assumes students immediately choose to go to the many different colleges across the U.S.

However what people don’t really realize is that there is an abundance of universities across the world, and there are quite a few Staples students attending those.

Maddie Jones ‘17 is only starting her college searching process, but already knows she is more interested in colleges in Europe, more specifically London. “I am originally from Europe and my entire extended family lives in the UK except for me and my parents,” Jones said, “So it definitely feels like home to me since that was where I was born.”

Although not everyone goes to school to be close to family, Jones feels like that is a major factor in her decision. “If I went to school in the U.K, I would get to spend a lot more time with my relatives who I rarely see.”

Current Senior Sophia Stanley has seen her own sister go through this process. Venetia Stanley ’08 moved to America in 7th grade, so she always felt like she didn’t really fit in here. “She was more comfortable going back to England which was where she spent most of her life,” Stanley said. “She never applied to any American colleges because to her it wasn’t an option. Venetia always had her mind set on going back. She loved it and said it was the best decision of her life.”

James Lewis’s ’16 sister, Blythe Lewis ’13, graduated knowing that going to school in Europe was the right choice for her. Even though there were so many schools across America that had what she wanted, she ultimately saw that it wasn’t for her. “My sister saw academic opportunities in Scotland that made her really want to go abroad.”

Even if attending a school abroad is too much for someone, there are still other options like studying abroad. This has always been popular for Staples graduates attending American colleges.

Morgan DiDonato ’13 chose to study abroad this past year in London. She felt like going to a school all the way in Europe would be too much for her, but being able to spend a semester abroad still gave her that cultural appreciation she wanted, “I wanted to gain new perspectives on things you normally wouldn’t have and immerse myself in a totally different culture where I am able to get an unforgettable experience.”

Hopefully Staples students will become more and more aware of the many different universities they can attend across the world once they graduate high school. The options really are endless, and should not just cover the 50 states.