As the end of the year approaches, students look forward to what adventures lie ahead in the next year. Freshman anticipate no longer being freshmen, and juniors realize that they have reached the final stretch of their high school careers.

Along with these prospects for the upcoming year, students must begin to think about what will become of them after their time at Wahlert. As hard as it is to believe, juniors, making that big college decision is coming up faster than many would like to believe.

The college search is a daunting task. How does anyone expect a 17 or 18 year old to know where they want to live and what they want to do with the next four years of their life? Now that the class of 2015 has made their final decisions, they share their successes, struggles and advice with the class of 2016, to help ease the stress of making that big decision on May 1, 2016.

“Not all those who wander are lost,” Anna Carpenter, ‘15, quotes J.R.R. Tolkien as she thinks of advice for underclassmen. “My advice would be to start looking early and apply to many different colleges. You never want to be limited in your options,” Carpenter explains. Carpenter will be attending Seton Hall in New Jersey and majoring in musical theater.

Matt Wigginton,’15,  agrees, “Go on as many college visits as you can. See if the school makes you feel like you’re at home,” he explains.

For some seniors, the college decision is a lengthy process, but some knew where they wanted to go as freshmen.

Anna Jochum,’15, claims, “I came out of the womb knowing that I wanted to go to UNI, and once I visited the campus, I knew for sure.”

Allison Rusch, ‘16, also knew where she wanted to go from early on. “My dad went to Wartburg, so I had been on the campus a lot and really liked it. I went on my first visit there junior year, and all my friends said they knew that was where I was going to go. They called it,” Rusch jokes.

Both girls agree on the importance of picking a school that feels like home, somewhere one can see themselves living for the next four years, or more. But, price can also be a major contributing factor.

Abbie Denlinger, ‘15, was looking for an affordable school that also had the nursing major she was looking for. “Knowing what I wanted to do made the decision easier for me,” Denlinger explained.

Overall, the general consensus seems to be, visit a school and see if it feels like home. Imagine living in a new city or even a state hundreds of miles away. Factor in majors, activities, and price to find a perfect match.

Not sure where to start? Check out bigfuture.collegeboard.org to narrow down your choices. The website allows students to enter filters such as school size, general location, and price, and will generate a list based on the criteria.