With April rolling in, many college decisions are coming out. Some seniors already know where they are going, while others are faced with the difficult decision of where they will spend their next four years. Many students have to take in cost of attendance into account and choose the school that they can both afford and prosper in. The college selection process may prove to be way more stressful than expected. Those who did not get into the school of their dreams are forced to rethink their whole lives based on location, field of study, how much debt they might go into, etc.

As a senior, everyone around you wants to know what the next step in your life is. Friends, family, teachers, and most adults bring up the topic of college what seems like all the time. Being constantly asked about something that is so uncertain can trigger unwanted stress and frustration. The best thing would be to refrain from asking questions about college until around June when everyone will have made a deposit for their freshman year already. This way, it allows for seniors to peacefully think about what to do and where to go.

“I know so many people who basically got rejected into all their schools that they applied to and it feels like their life is over. It sucks to see all your classmates post about getting into these great universities or getting these scholarships when you are over here struggling,” said Lauren Redman ‘18.

Seniors who get into prestigious universities or the college of their choice often post on social media or announce it to their friends and families. It’s easy to find yourself comparing your classmates to each other or yourself.

“Not to be rude, but it’s surprising when someone gets in to a school that is viewed as less qualified or deserving of another that didn’t get into the same school,” said Tiffany Gradzki ‘18. “It seems so unfair when someone you know who is way more hard working and deserving of an acceptance doesn’t get it.”

This shows how subjective the college admissions process is. Someone can get rejected because the admissions counselor who picked up their application was having a bad day or had just admitted someone who was comparable to them.

“People who got into all these schools and already know where they want to go need to rescind their applications because people on the waitlists are waiting to take that spot,” said Olivia Putrim ‘18.

For those who haven’t given up hope on the schools that are on their waitlist, they should write letters to those schools expressing their continued interest or send in another letter of recommendation. This increases the chances of getting off the waitlist because universities want to admit those who are genuinely interested in going there and not those who have other schools in mind.

For those who are looking for scholarships, it is not too late to apply for some extra money. It’s frustrating when the college that you want to go to is not giving you enough money to attend their school. Scholarship search engines like fastweb scholarships, college greenlight, and Niche are great ways to find scholarships tailored to you.

No matter what happens, everyone will end up where they are meant to be and things will be alright. Seniors, only 72 days left until graduation. Now is the time to cherish what you have until it’s gone.