Deciding to transfer high schools my senior year was one of the biggest decisions I have ever made. As I weighed the pros and cons of staying at my old school, I had a lot of unanswered questions about coming to La Salle as a senior. Would I make friends? Would I like my classes? What if I didn’t know where to go at lunch? Would it be as hard as my old school academically? What would colleges say about my transfer? Would I even like the cafeteria food?

Four months later, I am pleased to say all of my questions have been answered.

La Salle, as many private schools often are, is criticized for a strict dress code and fostering a very academically competitive environment. However, let me assure you, that the type of clothing to wear was the last thing on my mind after spending a week as a La Salle student, and I have found that the academically competitive environment is, in fact, more of a motivating academic environment.

La Salle’s student body is beyond welcoming. I went to the orientation day for freshman and transfer students in early September, expecting to feel out of place because of my seniority. To my surprise, my group leaders treated me as though I had been a student in their class for four years. They asked me about my schedule, compared classes with me, and most importantly, they didn’t treat me as an outsider. Since that day, I have made more friends at La Salle than I ever expected to. Not only are people friendly in the hallways, but the lunch tables do not have seating charts — people get up and move around — meaning, in other words, there is not a clique culture here.

The classes at La Salle have been surprisingly difficult, compared to the academic environment I was coming from. I take four Advanced Placement and honors courses, which I have found delve into coursework in ways that inspire me to think outside the classroom. From Economics, a mandated course that all seniors must take, to Advanced Placement Biology, an elective science course, I find that each and every class is challenging in its own way.

The teachers here embody a principle that I have long searched for in a school — “education, not indoctrination”. I find that when I am in class, teachers are presenting theories to me and giving me equal evidence on both sides of the argument. In Economics class, for example, I am given not only a Neoclassical perspective on economic policies but a Keynesian and Marxist view. The teachers are really here for the students, love their job, and often the subject matter they are teaching. They genuinely want the students to succeed.

La Salle, more than many other schools, gives students the opportunity to be both involved in extracurricular activities and academically successful. From clubs, sports, and a number of other immersion trips and groups, there is truly a diverse range of activities for people to try out and fall in love with. La Salle makes the accommodations necessary for students to do what they want to do while maintaining impressive classroom performance.

So, why exactly do I love La Salle? Because in seven weeks of my senior year, I have already had that “high school experience” that people talk about for the rest of their lives. It’s definitely been the time of my life both academically and socially. The teachers, the student body, and all of the details down to the bricks on the building itself make La Salle special. The only thing I would change about my experience with La Salle is that I wish it were longer.