Dear High School Seniors,
Senior year is in full swing and the stress is getting packed on. College applications are almost due and decisions are going to have to be made. I know how it is. I was in your place this time two years ago. Senior year is probably the most stressful and busy time of your life thus far. So many things are being thrown at you all at once: college applications and tours, the SAT, ACT, finals and college decisions, perhaps the most challenging of all.
Trying to find the right college for you is arguably one of the hardest things you will do, so keep these things in mind while making a decision:
1. This is a very individual process. Don't pick a school based on where your best friends are going and where you feel people are pressuring you to go.
2. Go on tours of the schools you are considering. Get a feel for the campus while students are there and try to picture yourself there.
3. There is no "perfect college," but there is a perfect college for YOU. Just because someone else doesn't love the school does not mean that you won't.
4. Keep an open mind. While visiting every school, you might end up being surprised by which ones you like or dislike.
Remember, your college decision isn't set in stone. If you get there and decide it isn't where your heart is, transferring is always an option; it worked for me. Just like there is no "perfect college," there is no "perfect college experience."
The last year of high school goes by faster than you think. Slow down and take it all in. This is the last time in your life you'll be surrounded by all your friends with whom you grew up. In a few months you'll all go your separate ways, and although you'll see them over breaks, it won't be the same. You might think now that you won't miss it, but you will. You'll miss the familiarity of it all. College is awesome and is a whole new world, but the people you went to high school with are the people that grew up with you. These are the ones that stuck with you through your elementary years playing with Barbies and awkward middle school days with braces and experimental makeup. Appreciate them and being at home while you still can, because this time next year everything will be so different. You could be in a new city or state, surrounded by so many new people and opportunities. Enjoy and make the most of your college years, but while doing so, don't forget where you came from.
Good luck with the rest of your senior year, make the most of it.
Sincerely,
A College Sophomore
