If you are an incoming high school senior getting ready to dive into college admissions, or are a parent, guardian, friend, family member, acquaintance, or enemy of a senior that is planning on diving into college admissions, then let me share something with you.

I am an incoming senior in high school. I'd say I'm smart, involved in school activities, I have some common sense, I've done my research and I'm ready to move on to a new chapter in my life where I can fully take care of myself, be in a place where I can learn anything I want to and be away from home for awhile. As are many other high school seniors.

Personally, as I look through college websites, the common app, and all additional requirements, my head starts to spin.

College is a rough topic to talk about with some seniors. The endless questions of...

"Where are you looking?" ... "What do you want to major in?" ... "How much do you think that's going to cost?'' ... "Do you think you'll get in?"

I can tell you that the majority of us don't know the answers to those questions, or aren't dwelling over them.

I know that when I look at colleges, I try to avoid the cost. You may think that is crazy, but I disagree. This is something I need to look at without stressing over the price tag. If I wanted a new shirt I would then look at the price tag and decide, but not college. The cost of any college right now is sky high.

I know that the better colleges I am looking at are going to cost more money, and no, of course I do not agree one bit about how much they cost. If I find everything I want at the college, and I believe it could be a good fit for me, then I am going to apply. If I get in and am considering attending, then I will talk money and make the final decision. I will not let the prices get in the way of checking out a potential option.

I also know that when I tell people what I want to major in, they give me a funny look, or a condescending grimace. I want to double major, there is nothing wrong with that. I want to double major in music education and theater design and production. Trust me, I know that arts are dwindling, and because of this, it is a competitive industry to get into.

Finding a college that offers a double major is very tricky, and finding a college that has this kind of double major is even harder. I am very confident in the decision that I am making, because I believe that this is where I belong. You are right if you are thinking, "this job pays nothing!", and "it is going to be impossible to find a job!", and "you are probably going to have to travel a lot!". Even so, it is a risk I am willing to take.

As a prospective college goer, I have brainstormed and talked to many different people to get myself closer to a decision that seems to take over your life. I can say that talking down to a stressed senior about their college choices is a really bad idea.

"You're not going to like it there." ... "It's too cold." ... "It's too big." ... "It's too small." ... "It's too far." ... "There is no campus, it's a city." ... "That is in the middle of nowhere."

I get it. Not every person is going to like every aspect of the college you may look at. Not every senior is going to find a perfect college that fit's their every need and want. The decision to apply is up to the person applying to the college.

Making the student more nervous about the situation and picking on them to do what you think is best for them and not letting them make their own decision makes it harder for us to live and take care of ourselves on our own.

I know the college that has everything I want is way too far away, it is very expensive, it is very hard to get into, it is huge, and it's freezing. But, it is one of the best performance arts schools in the country, it offers every major you could possibly want, it has a double major, I have a family member who graduated from there, and one of my idols went to college there.

Sure, maybe this is something I will have to wait for when I go into graduate school, but there is nothing wrong with wanting to visit and apply.

So, if you know a senior in high school that is about to conquer the common app, take it from a senior in high school when I tell you to cut us a bit of slack, and try to offer help only if we ask. This is something we have to do on our own and no matter how scary it may be for us, or the people around us, we all need to keep our cool.