Dear High School Senior,

I know that April has probably been the most stressful month for you. You are making prom and graduation arrangements, battling senioritis while still receiving college acceptances. On top of that, while some of your friends sent in their deposits in December, there are some people who are still deciding between three or four colleges. As a person who put her deposit down on April 29th 2015 which is two days before National College Decision Day here is some advice.

Go to the college that YOU will be the happiest at. This is not the decision for your parents, your teachers or friends to make. You should pick the school that you know you will want to spend all 4 years at. Ask yourself, when I go home for breaks, will I be happy to be home and at the same time want to go back to school? If you say yes, you know you have found the right place.

Go to the college that you will be challenged but will be able to manage it.College is supposed to be full of memories both in and out of the classroom. However, it will be hard to do so if you are spending every waking hour either stressed or in the library. Go to a college where you know that you will be able to study and have fun on the weekends whether that's homecoming or a football game.

If you are still stuck, make a list of the pros and cons of each college. Make sure that you answer honestly. This was actually one of the most helpful tools for me when I made my decision. Include obvious factors such as distance and major, but also not so obvious things, like clubs or quality of dorms.

Go somewhere that you will look forward to going to class. You go to college to get a degree, not to party. Professors do take attendance in college, and sometimes it can be the determining factor of whether you get an A- or a B+. In fact, in my first semester of freshmen year acting class, your grade would drop half a letter if you missed one class and this was a Monday,Wednesday, Friday class. If you know that you will not go to class if there are more than 50 people then you should reconsider where you want to go.

Go to the college that you know you will make friends. College is the time that you learn what makes a real and sincere friendship. Having a supportive group of friends during your first semester is essential to making the college adjustment. When attending accepted student days or taking a tour for a second time, look at your surroundings. Are these people that you could see yourself having a great conversation with? If you said yes, you have found your place.

Sincerely,

A College Sophomore