As the end of the school year approaches, many seniors are narrowing down and finalizing their college decisions. This is a process that can be short for some, but extensive for others.

Most colleges have application opportunities available in the fall and later in the winter, though many seniors choose to submit applications early so they can receive answers from the college sooner.

“I submitted my applications over a large period of time with the earliest having been due on October 15 and the latest on January 1. Personally, I tried to have all of my applications submitted before Christmas regardless of if the due date was later,” senior Carter Brames said.

Most students apply to multiple colleges so they can narrow down their options after receiving acceptance or rejection letters. Some colleges send out these letters early on, others take more time.

This also depends on whether or not the student decided to apply early action.

“I applied to nine different schools,” Brames said, “I received my first acceptance in the middle of November and as of April 1 I have heard back from all of my schools”

This year there have been issues with the FAFSA, which determines a student’s eligibility for financial aid. Due to this, most schools around the country have pushed their deposit deadlines back to May 15 instead of May 1, meaning that by this date, students will have to have made their college decision.

On top of the whole application process, actually choosing which college to attend can be a very stressful decision. There is a lot of pressure on high school seniors to decide on a college and have a clear plan of what they want to pursue.

“Making the decision has been the most stressful part of the entire process. As my senior year closes out I find that the decision becomes even more difficult,” Brames said, “I think that most seniors who have yet to make a decision are also stressed about it. Choosing where you attend college for undergrad is a decision you only make once in your life which can make it feel extremely daunting.”

Student athletes have another topic to consider when it comes to choosing a college, which is whether or not they will continue their sport. This weighs on a lot of students when it comes to size of school, scholarship opportunities and their ability to contribute to a college team.

“For me, athletics had played a role in the schools I applied to and how I went about my process. I went on a myriad of recruiting visits for my sport and heavily considered continuing to play in college. I ended up deciding that, for academic reasons, not continuing my sport would be the best decision for me. However, athletics is a huge factor for many and can help many with admissions for college,” Brames said.