As spring begins to bloom, so do college commitments. Every day, an Instagram post is made about another high school student committing to their dream school. While this is all happening, other students are staring at rejection letters or refreshing their admissions portal until their decision pops up. The sheer competitiveness between friends can turn into something so toxic, all over something that is supposed to be the happiest time of year for seniors. 

April and May are easily the most anxiety-inducing months of senior year. One of the most important decisions now lies in a 17-year-old’s hands, and it is all up to us to decide where we will spend our next four years. The baggage that comes along with committing to a school is way too stressful for one teenager to handle. 

While some students have been committed to the school of their dreams since the beginning of the year, some students are still struggling with making their final decision and are counting down the days until May 1. The pressure and competitiveness that is put on students to make the decision by National Decision Day is something that causes so much stress, on top of everything else that may be going on. 

It’s extremely common for these students who are not already committed to feel like they are unprepared to take the next step. However, this is not true. It feels as though everyone collectively forgets that you do not have to decide immediately because this is one of the biggest decisions a teenager can make. 

Although almost everyone goes through this their senior year, we still somehow forget how insanely impactful this process is on the average teen. Being surrounded by your peers who have already committed while you’re still in the decision-making process is incredibly overwhelming and just makes the decision harder. It’s hard to feel like you’re in the correct place when everyone around you is a step ahead.