The time has come for seniors to start looking for future plans beyond high school. There are many paths these future leaders could take, such as the workforce, military, or college. We will be focusing on students that will be attending college in the upcoming fall of 2022. 

College is a big step to take, yet many of our students are ready to begin a new part of their life. Cameron Marshalwitz says, “I’m ready for college and all the new experiences it has to offer. I’m excited to pursue extracurricular activities such as baseball.”  Knowing that students are able to find something that they are passionate about allows the journey to adulthood to become easier. However, there are some students that are not ready for college. Kendall Pryal thinks, “I have made so many connections here and I don’t want to leave my family. I am excited for college, I just don’t think I’m ready to leave.” Her words allow us to see another side to a senior getting ready for college. 

Regardless of if our students are ready or not,  they are still going to apply to many schools. For instance, Noah Pilarski has applied to three schools along the East Coast. He is looking for schools with his major in engineering and a medium (sized) school. Max Jarrell is applying to four schools for either physiology or graphic design, and wants to go to schools in the northeast. He wants a nice campus with a friendly atmosphere. Some students like Morgan Williams applied to one school, others like Shannon Shaughnessy applied to fourteen. This reveals the variety of different approaches our student body faces when writing the next chapter in their life.  It seems that many students prioritize a campus environment that fits their wants and needs. When I was looking for colleges, I had to make sure they had all my majors, as well as be near or in a city. I also want a fun student body and nice dorms. 

At Hampton High School, it appears that students want new experiences and are eager to pursue their passions. Being ready for college is hard, and you can’t always be prepared for it. It’s all about taking control of what you want and pursuing it. I would like to say good luck to the seniors who are planning on going to college this coming fall.