There are many mixed emotions surrounding the end of high school for this year’s BSM seniors, and a lot of anxiety for undecided students. Whether they’ve decided on a college, or still making last minute decisions, most students are ready to take their learning up a notch and hit the books at the university right for them.

Decision day is on May 1. This day is the national decision day for students all around the country to make their final choice on where they will be attending college. “I’ve decided on going to Gustavus Adolphus College next semester; I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay in-state, but I liked the idea of staying close to home. I recently decided on Gustavus when I visited and fell in love with the campus,” senior Delaney Zeman said.

Senior Jack Beutz is still undecided as to what college he will be attending next year. “It’s fun seeing my friends choosing a college, but it really makes me want to decide on what college I’m going to so that it will provide that clarity for me,” Beutz said.

Some students have known where they want to go to college since the beginning of the year. Being a lacrosse player and wanting to pursue her sport in college, Senior Ellie Bahr made the early decision to play lacrosse and study at the University of Northern Michigan this fall. “It was super, super nice to know where I was going to college before senior year even started. I didn’t have to worry about not getting into the college I wanted, and I am excited I get to keep playing lacrosse. It was a really simple process,” senior Ellie Bahr said.

One of the greatest things these seniors have done with all their experience—going through the college process—is giving advice to juniors coming into the senior class next year. Many juniors usually don’t know what they should prioritize and manage regarding their college process, but junior Henry Wolfe has already begun. “All juniors are required to submit forms to their counselors in the spring of their senior year, and while I have been completing that I have started to plan out my application process for the colleges I’m interested. By talking to other seniors and hearing their advice, I have a better understanding of how to go about the application process,” junior Henry Wolfe said.

There’s comfort in knowing where you’re going to college. “When I heard back from Texas Christian University, I knew it was the school for me. It’s really nice to start planning on your college life and get a head start,” senior Sam Huff said.

An advantage of deciding early is that the students who do have that head start tend to get the best housing options, they find a roommate earlier, apply for all the scholarships early, and students get to avoid the stress of last minute decision option. One of the more important things to keep in mind when applying to college is applying for scholarships as early as possible. “Scholarships are usually deciding factors seniors make when narrowing down their options, so it makes it a lot easier on potential college students to apply for those scholarships earlier in the school year. For me, scholarships were one of my deciding factors, so I wish I would have applied earlier than I did so I could make my decision earlier and drop all the stress that comes with deciding on college,” senior Delaney Zeman said.

It’s taken some students months to figure out where they want to end up next year. Senior Brooke Ferrer—an excellent student, active member of the BSM community and BSM salutatorian—has recently made her decision on where she’ll end up next year. With over sixteen colleges in the mix, Ferrer narrowed it down to three of her favorites. “I am so relieved to have one last difficult decision to make regarding my college process: what colors jeans to wear with my Notre Dame shirt,” senior Brooke Ferrer said.

This overwhelming and chaotic time for BSM seniors marks the start of an exciting new chapter ahead of them. Whether decided or undecided on a school, every one of these students has had the education and preparation from BSM to have success no matter where they go. The stress is soon to be over, and may the class of 2017 have the best of luck on making their final decisions.