The ability to look at senior year as a unique experience where teens get to decide their next steps into adulthood while still enjoying all the benefits of a rent-free childhood, is ruined by the college application process which pumps stress into an otherwise special year.

The college process is extremely competitive with some of the more selective universities accepting only eight percent of applicants. This, with the added financial burden put on college students, since the average student graduating college with $28,000 in student loan debt, makes searching for the next step a high-stakes game.

Rarely in life does a person have the ability to decide what they want to do and where they want to live with so few contributing factors. Aside from the money and competition regarding college applications, high school graduates are given a blank slate along with their diplomas that shouldn’t be taken for granted. After high school, life gets in the way of the ability to make a decision solely on the basis of personal preference. Instead, a family and or a career become the primary focus.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, there are over 9,000 higher level education options in the U.S.. This means every high school senior who wishes to continue their education is given the chance to do so at any one of these institutions, which are sprawled all over the country. It is easy to get caught up in the acceptance process, with nagging family members constantly prodding their high school seniors about where they’re going in the fall, but such a unique opportunity deserves to be appreciated.

Park students who are entering or in the middle of this difficult process should attempt to make the best out of the extraordinary decision granted to each person after high school. Although the journey to the college is strenuous, the freedom that arises from it should not be overlooked, as a similar opportunity may not come along.

Even if it’s just for a day, ignore your nervous mother while she rambles on about ACT scores and average financial aid packages, and think about where you actually want to go. Think about what you really want to do with the next part of your life, and make it happen. No, not everything will work out, but this decision is worth a good try.