As February draws to a close, so do many colleges’ application deadlines. Many Southern Lehigh seniors are affected by this as they determine which schools are right for them. Seniors discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each college and university with their parents, guidance counselors, and friends.

Many factors go into deciding whether a college is the right fit for a particular senior. These factors vary from person to person, but generally include the size of the school, reputation, and cost of tuition. Also, some seniors must determine whether or not they will further pursue their athletic careers.

“Some factors of my decision include the location, if they have my major, the price, and girl-to-guy ratio,” senior Nick Levasseur said.

During the application process, certain colleges require students to write essays stressing their strengths and reasons for admittance. These essays can often determine whether or not the student is admitted.

“When writing my essay, I created a setting, a mood, a background story, and then worked into the serious academic parts of my essay,” senior Rosalie Mattiola said. “Also, I noticed the best essays used tons of voice, which I’ve always been keen to, so I tried to do the same.”

For many students, the thousands of colleges across the country all seem to blend together, and it is hard to decide which is best for each individual. Students use websites and other resources to differentiate universities.

“In the beginning, I used BigFuture.CollegeBoard.org in order to get the basic information from a ton of schools,” Mattiola said.  “After that, I got information directly from the university websites, even their average SAT scores, because the range varies depending which source you use, so it’s best to get it from the school themselves.”

Since many seniors work hard to focus on keeping their grades up during their final high school semester, they are unable to dedicate all of their time to making the correct college selection. These seniors need help to make the correct decision that will ultimately lead their life’s path.

“I credit my parents and guidance through helping me decide what college I want to attend,” senior Brady Fleckenstein said.

Since the creation of technical schools such as LCTI, not all seniors decide to go to college and instead choose to join the workforce right away.

There are “great opportunities and starting wages, plus I have experience from LCTI,” senior Justin Voortman, who will become an excavator, said of his decision to go into the workforce instead of college.