Dear stressed out seniors,

First off, take a breather and just relax. This is the best year of your high school career so enjoy it while you can. Applying to colleges can be stressful but it will all be worth it in the end. Being a junior in college right now, there are a couple of things that I wish someone would have told me when I was applying to colleges.

When I was in high school, I always had a dream school that I wanted to attend so I applied there early in my application process and crossed my fingers. I ended up not attending that school because it was just too much to afford. So that brings me to the first thing that I wish someone would have told me. When you are applying to a college, think about money. Your so called dream school might be “cooler”, but the price might not be. One of the scariest things that I am worried about as a junior in college right now is how I am going to pay off my student debt. Think about whether you really want to struggle with money problems the second you graduate from college. Your parents might be supporting you now but they can’t pay for you for the rest of your life.

When my parent broke the news to me that I could not attend my dream school, I was devastated. I had such a negative mindset about other colleges. I did not even want to apply to another college at all. After talking to some of my older friends, I finally changed my attitude. I applied to the school that I am at now because it was within my price budget since it was an in-state school. And boy, it was the best thing that has ever happened to me. This brings me to my second point. Keep a positive attitude even if you do not end up going to your number one school. If you have a positive attitude, you will have a wonderful college experience no matter where you are.

For all of my seniors that are scared about staying in the state that you are living right now; don’t worry. I know you want to stay as far from your parents as you can but trust me, you are going to get homesick the second you are on that plane. Especially your freshmen year of college, you are going to want to go home 24/7. It is cheaper to drive home than buying a plane ticket. So take this from an in-state student and stay in the state that your parents are in if the only reason you want to attend an out of state college is to get away from your parents.

If you are stressed right now, don’t be. Just take my word that whatever college you end up at is going to be wonderful as long as you keep a positive mindset. In the end, we are all going for the same college degree; the name of the college is the only difference.