Most of my friends who stayed here for seminary did not get any shidduch suggestions during the year. It’s hard for people to take an 18-year-old girl seriously.
With regard to seminary, I don’t know where I would be without it. I feel that if utilized properly, the seminary year can be a year of tremendous emotional, spiritual, and intellectual growth. That growth could not have necessarily been achieved here, when girls are still connected to their families. Seminary is a time to step out of preconceived notions about yourself, which is hard to do when you’re living at home.
As for the partying- well, know your girls. Yes, some girls do go to E’Y to party, and I would tend to agree that for them, seminary is a waste of time and money. Most girls don’t go for that, though. In my seminary, it was a very small minority of girls who were partying in Geula and Ben Yehuda; the rest of us took the year seriously. Yes, we had a ton of fun, but that wasn’t the sole focus.