HHS senior Ryan Hicks pictured with his next destination after high school, Portugal, on his t-shirt. Hicks chose to go abroad at Northeastern University and chose to study in Porto, Portugal. Hicks chooses Porto because of the proximity to the water and the rich culture within the city.

This year’s college admission process for seniors has been nothing but a rollercoaster as it is getting harder and harder to get accepted to colleges.

In particular, senior Ryan Hicks has had to make tough decisions throughout his admission process to get where he is right now. 

Hicks decided in March to take a step out of his comfort zone and live in unfamiliar territory. He will be studying business in his first semester at Northeastern in Porto, Portugal. 

“I am very excited to not only see a different part of the world, but live there for a whole semester. I am most looking forward to seeing what life is like outside of Massachusetts and tasting new food everyday,” Hicks said.

“To me, this is an opportunity of a lifetime that I knew I couldn’t pass up, I would have felt that I made the wrong decision and missed out on a great opportunity to do something new,” Hicks said.

Luckily for Hicks, not only does he get to go abroad in Portugal, he also is attending his top school second semester, Northeastern.

“Since I was a young kid I knew I liked Northeastern and hoped to maybe go there. I always liked the fact it was close to home and in Boston,” Hicks said.

Ryan’s college decision was no easier than everyone else’s, despite getting accepted into Northeastern. “At first I was a little bit puzzled and unsure what to do since I am required to go abroad if I choose to attend Northeastern. I eventually became eager to go abroad and that quickly became the icing on the cake in terms of where I go to school in the fall,” Hicks said.

Hicks is finally at ease with the month-long college admission process and looking forward to what’s to come next year in Portugal and at Northeastern.