For many students, the hardest part of senior year is choosing what they want to do outside of highschool. The most popular choice among seniors on where to go after highschool is college. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics 61.4%, or roughly around 1.9 million students, go off to college in the US. With going to college also comes the pressure of deciding which college to attend while thinking about all the factors that go into finding the “right” college.
From which college is best for a major, to the financial aspect of it all. There are many factors that go into deciding on a college. Avery Bengston, 12, has had the stress of not only getting accepted to college but also being accepted into their Musical Theater (MT) programs.
“I originally applied to 20 colleges, and I did nine auditions at different schools. So, the biggest deciding factor for me was what school wanted me, not just academically, but also to get acceptance into the MT program,” Bengston said.
Bengston isn’t the only one who had trouble with deciding what school would be best for both her and her major. Jenna Selbert, 12, originally started off with 42 possible schools that were narrowed down based on her major. Even though they all offered her major, food sciences in an accredited program, not all of those schools would be right for her.
“I also had to look at the vicinity of the school, because I’m more of a homebody than my brother. My brother goes to school in New Jersey, and I saw how hard it was being that far away from home for him. So I just wanted to make sure I was a little closer to my parents,” Selbert said.
For many people like Selbert, being close to family is a priority. For most people, college is the first time they live without their family or guardians and many are not ready to leave home by the time college rolls around. Yet, there are more factors than just family and curriculum that go into finding the perfect college.
A big thing to consider in the financial aspect of college. According to the Educated Data Initiative, the average in-state college tuition in the US is $9,750 per year and the average out of state is $28,297 per year. Many adults end up paying off student loan debts well into their 30’s which holds as a financial burden. Mya Willis, 12, has taken the financial aspect of college into consideration when making her decision.
“My family, and then my coaches as well, are trying to see if I want to go and then my parents, they obviously want me to go. It’s just like, do I really want to go?” Willis said.
Military, gap year, trade school, or even going straight to the workforce are options that are appealing to many. For some, the outside opinion is wanted and helpful while others don’t feel the need for it.
“I would say my parents’ opinions were the most important to me, because they have supported me throughout this entire journey,” Selbert said, “So making sure that I was making the right choice in my mind, but also making sure they approved of where I went and that I was getting the proper education was very important,”
On the other hand, Logan Schepis, 12, took a different approach to outside influence when it came to deciding to go to the University of Tennessee.
“People tried to influence me, but I kind of just let it be and made my own decision,” Schepis said.
With college being such a huge decision, often family and friends want to give their input on which school to go to or just whether or not they should go to school. While this can be helpful, it can lead to more conflicting feelings on where to go and put more stress on an already extremely stressful situation.
“You have to choose where you’re going for the next four years, and where you’re going to live, so it’s a big choice,” Luke Bennett, 12, said.
While nobody has to stay at the college they picked for the full four years, it is still their home for at least that year and most of the time it is an entirely different environment than they are used to. With new roommates, new friends, and overall new beginnings college is a new experience that is often scary.
“We’re so young, and being 18, that’s just like renewed to everything, and it’s just a lot of pressure and all that from everybody around you” Willis said.
While college can be stressful, it sets people up for the rest of their lives. Finding life long friends, getting a degree, opening up opportunities, and so much more comes from college. All the stress of decisions and nerves that come with college are worth it in the end.
“You’re gonna end up where you’re meant to be. Everything happens for a reason, and sometimes it is hard to trust the process, it’ll all work out in the end,” Bengston said.
