On the first day of school after quarantine, our English teachers pushed all the seniors to write a college essay and told us how the senior year was going to go by in a blink of an eye, but we thought we had all the time in the world. This wasn’t the case, On May 1, National Decision Day came, and now here we are planning what college we have to go to.
One of the most difficult decisions that high school students must make is where to attend college. There are numerous factors that high school students consider when choosing the right college for them, from the expense of college to the majors available to the size and style of the dorms. Most high school students would start to think about college when they are at the end of their sophomore year but this wasn’t the case for us. We were stuck in quarantine and that made us fall behind. Even though our school tried helping us get to know more colleges using Zoom, it didn’t help most of us.
“I had a dream college set but when I didn’t get in, May 1st was coming very fast, and didn’t know what to do cause none of the colleges spoke out to me,” said Jessica DeOcampo “so then I had to make a decision fast and ended up making the decision the day before.”
“Even though quarantine did not help my experience through this huge thing in my life, my parents and older brothers really helped me out with the essay writing and gave me advice about going to Hofstra in the fall.”
Students have until May 1st and when the day passes, you are not guaranteed a seat, there is a chance there won’t be a seat for you anymore. Students must pay a deposit by May 1 to confirm their enrollment at the college of their choosing. When it comes to picking where they want to live and study for the next four years, the May 1 deadline may be difficult.
“When I got my acceptance letter from Cornell, I knew I was going there and there were no other schools I wanted to go to, but the huge problem was finding a place to stay and finding a roommate that I would live with, especially since I don’t know anyone there,” said Sadia Zaki.
Now that we have made a huge decision, it was time for us to celebrate. On May 3, 2022, we were able to celebrate with all of our friends in the courtyard, with snacks, a place to write our colleges we are attending with our names, props to take pictures with, and more. Kids were able to go during their lunchtime and have a nice time. We weren’t just celebrating college but instead their future, so it’s for the students who are going to four-year schools, going to two-year schools, who are going into technical programs, and for the students who are getting jobs that are going to finance their future education.
