Senior year brings memories that students will never forget.

However, it also brings about the most stressful topic during high school: college. During the first semester of the school year, seniors were filling out applications, asking for teachers recommendations, and patiently waiting for their acceptance or rejection letter to the school of their dreams.

The counselors recommend that students apply to at least three schools, one being in-state which will serve as a safety school, which they are more likely to be accepted to. For many seniors, this made the process less stressful and it made the decision process less chaotic.

Imari Wilson (12) did not follow the same route; she applied to twelve schools. Out of those twelve schools, she is most eager to receive an acceptance letter from Harvard University.

Harvard has such a prominent history especially their science and research program, said Wilson.

While many students will be attending college in-state, some will venture off to different states to pursue their education. In the fall, Luticia Cawdor (12) will be attending the School Of Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois. She wants to pursue a masters degree in architecture and she loves that the school is located in an urban area.

I thought I was going to get rejected because the admissions process is hard, as well as receiving financial aid, said Cawdor. By taking advantage of federal aid (FAFSA) and a portfolio scholarship she received, as well as other scholarships, her plan is to leave college debt free.

While many Manual students choose to have the college experience, some students have chosen to take a different route. The navy, air force, marines, and army are all routes some students have either considered or chosen. Dishan Romine (12) has chosen to attend the Naval Academy in Indianapolis, Maryland. He says the application process was very hard because it required many letters of recommendation as well as a physical test.

I chose to go to the navy because I knew I would have a good career after my four years of school, said Romine.

For various reasons, many students choose to attend a in-state university. My parents want me to stay home, because they do not think I am old enough to live on my own, said Paoli Ortiz (12). Although each seniors college process was different, everyone still experienced the same nervousness and anxiety that comes with making decisions about life after high school. But there is no doubt that Manual has prepared and equipped this years seniors for future success.