With the end of the school year coming to a close, April is the month for seniors to decide on what they want to pursue in the future, whether to attend college,  search for a job, or pursue some other option.

For those choosing college, finding the right university can be a very difficult choice with many factors coming into play. Seniors consider such factors as : whether a school is in their family’s budget, whether or not it is close to home, and how flexible that college is to successfully continue their major they want to start their life with.

Senior Maggie Ashley, who has been committed to Bucknell University since her sophomore year stated, “I was deciding between JMU, Duke, and Bucknell. I knew they were all great division 1 schools to play lacrosse, but Bucknell offered me the most money. It is a great academic school and it just clicked when I visited, the environment and the school just felt right.” Maggie was that rare student who did not have to stress her senior year on finding a school that fit her, athletics helped her find and fall in love with a school that supported her financially, and fit her academically and athletically.  

Even though the process of committing to college for the Class of 2018 is almost over, the juniors are going through the same experiences.

Junior Michael Costa is starting the college search process: “I just started looking into colleges last month, it’s really nerve wracking to find a certain school that fits me and that basically starts my life. You have to consider the location, and the money that my family can but towards college. I do want to be close to home, but definitely not too close.”

The move from VHS, with its senior class of 150, to universities that may have freshmen classes in the thousands can cause stress and pressure, but finding a college that fits all of your personal needs can help take some of the stress away.