Nervously opening emails and refreshing admissions pages, seniors anticipate written words that determine their future. Some reactions are joyful while others are not. But occasionally, confusion takes over. Waiting on responses from Ivy League colleges, being waitlisted, and having to decide what to do with their future causes this confusion for seniors.

“I am deciding between Stanford, Princeton, and MIT,” senior Vinh Nguyen said. “All the schools are great and I am grateful to have gotten into them. Right now I am mostly considering the differences in weather and location. However, this has been hard this year because of COVID and travel restrictions.”

Others have different priorities and compare colleges based on them.

“Outside of money and campus life, one of the most important factors for me to consider when choosing a college has actually been faculty research,” senior Aidan Colón said. “At private research universities like the ones I am currently considering, the focus of the professors’ research usually colors the courses they teach in some way. Additionally, I want to get research experience with faculty whose focus aligns with my own personal interests in a meaningful way. It is taken a lot of time to consider this though because I have to wait from professors then take the time to compare them afterward.”

With the school year coming to an end, having to make important decisions for their futures is causing stress and anxiety.

“It is really nerve-wracking,” senior Ava Tran said. “But patience is key for deciding what is best for my future.”

Others have a more optimistic approach to the decision of where to go to college.

“Life is full of adventure,” senior Muneeb Shahid said. “You do not have to know where you are going to go to college, just take the first step and life will lead you on your journey.”

Despite all of these challenges, teachers and educators are always there to support and help students.

“Making the decision about where you want to go for college is huge,” Assistant Principal Francis Ditta said. “Look at which university has the best program for what you are wanting to major in, and if you still aren’t sure, start off locally at Lone Star.”

Some college advisors comfort seniors with the idea that deciding where one wants to go to college and what one wants to do in the future itself is commendable, no matter where the decision ends up.

“It is not where you start that is important, but where you finish,” Ditta said.