Dear High School Senior,

Around this time last year, I was in the process of submitting my early-action applications for college. I was constantly checking my Common Application, ensuring that I didn’t have any spelling errors and that every single detail was absolutely the way it should be. I remember constantly pestering my college counselors about them responding to my most recent email or essay draft. I remember sitting in my forensics class refreshing the ACT website a good few hundred times to see if I could finally access my scores since it had been frozen from the thousands of other students who were trying to check theirs as well the day they were released. I was stressed out of my mind.

However, when I look back a year later, so much of that stress was so unnecessary.

I’m sure this is something you have heard before. "Don’t stress, you’ll end up where you belong” is probably engrained in your head by now. You might be trying your very best to believe them, but you just can’t get over how much you have to get done by a certain point, how much you need to raise your test scores by and are continuing to pester your English teacher about why your 89.4 isn’t being rounded to an A. You have never felt more passionate, yet angry at the college process in your life.

I attended a small, private high school, where everyone knew everything about one another. Everyone knew where everyone had been accepted; everyone knew where people had been denied. More often than less, it sucked. As much as I wanted to attend the school that was perfect for me, I wanted my peers to be proud of the “name” of where I ended up. I tried to remind myself that the college application process was supposed to be exciting, and that I would eventually end up where I would be happy, and where I truly belong. I have now come to the conclusion that my college process defined who I was, and taught me to embrace all I had to offer. It is important to decide on the school where you will be the happiest and the most comfortable academically, not on the reputation or status of the university.

If there was any advice that I could give to myself a year ago, I would remind myself that senior year is, for most of you, your last year living at home. You’ll never realize how much you appreciate home-cooked meals and showering without flip-flops on until you enter college. So embrace all that you have now, especially your loved ones. Embrace the friendships you made in high school and the experiences you’ve had that have shaped you into the person you have become. That person will, for sure, shine through in your applications.

Express yourself in your essays; this is one of the only chances you’ll have to truly emphasize the person you are.

However, senior year is also about anticipating what there is to come. It is not about letting go of your childhood; you still have so much more heading your way. New opportunities, friends, and travels are guaranteed in your future. So much happiness is geared towards you and I can’t emphasize that enough.

During the most stressful of times, keep in mind that your sense of drive is what is going to lead you to the place where you belong. You’ll have more time to socialize if you get everything done before it’s due, and not the night before. We all know that procrastinating is easy, but do you best to avert from it. You’ll be thankful when the second half of your senior year is a breeze because you didn’t avoid your deadlines. If you can, apply early-action for schools, even if they’re not necessarily top choices. It expresses extra interest, and leaves you more time for your later or regular decision applications. If you have the financial stability, take your standardized tests more than once, even if you’re not sure you can improve. Personally, I was told by my ACT tutor that I most likely only improve by two points after my first test, but I ended up improving by eight. I knew that my first score did not show my full potential, and after getting used to the testing style I realized that I could shine through more than I had ever anticipated I could.

The most important thing that I have come to learn throughout my senior year is that the phrase, “You’ll end up where you belong,” does not define your entire life. If you end up at a school where you have the opportunity to challenge who you are while at the same time, feel comfortable in the environment you’re in, I couldn’t be happier for you. However, if that’s not necessarily your case, it absolutely is not the end of the world. If for some reason you don’t end up where you wanted, or you find yourself in a place that is too difficult academically or socially, give things time. Try and settle in. Things will most likely work themselves out for the better. And if not, transferring is always an option. You are never stuck anywhere where you are unhappy.

This is your senior year. Take chances, follow your heart, and embrace it. Become a leader for the underclassmen in your school. Attend the events that your school hosts. Prom and Graduation are closer than you’d expect, and as exciting as that is, it is important to hold on to the previous four years that have shaped you. Know that this stressful process doesn’t last forever, and when it ends, you can finally step into your future to celebrate.