As colleges send acceptances, seniors face tough decisions

As the days until the May 1 college decision day tick by, seniors know a life-changing decision awaits them.

Some have fewer options because of a slew of rejections, while others are overwhelmed with having to decide among their top-choice schools.

Senior Dean Stratakos, the school’s No. 1 player on the boys’ tennis team, said that academic rigor and athletics are the main factors he is considering.

“The first characteristic I am looking for is a strong computer science program because I prioritize academics. Next comes a solid tennis program,” Stratakos said. “Once I know what my options are, I think it will be a lot trickier to narrow it all down to one school. There are so many aspects to consider such as size, location, weather, as well as intangibles such as the overall campus feel and atmosphere.”

Senior Smrithi Balebail said that size, location, weather, community and local food districts are all factors for her.

“I don’t think I could survive a day in a dreary-weathered and food-less place,” she admitted.

For many seniors, the thought of choosing the wrong college is, in a way, even scarier than getting disappointing admission results.

Senior Sahm Rafati said he has narrowed his choice to two colleges. “One of them has the best dental program out of all the colleges I have been admitted to, but I heard that the environment is really depressing,” he said. “That’s why I’m considering other options.”

Yet another factor is the unbending will of many seniors’ parents, which seems to dictate many students’ academic careers, especially since they’re the ones who will be paying the bills for the next few years.

“I’m lucky that my parents have been very supportive of me throughout the college process and they wanted (or at least pretended to want) to hear my own thoughts on each college,” Stratakos said. “However, other parents might put a lot of pressure on their children because they will only be happy if they can say that their child is going to a specific top-ranking school.”

Though a lesser known limiting factor for many students, the tuition cost of a college is a concern for many parents.

“I’m fortunate enough for my parents to be able to give me a lot more leeway regarding tuition,” said senior Avni Madhani. “I know that most parents want their kids to go to the best college they get into, but sometimes that isn’t possible.”