In nine months, we seniors will be done with CHS and moving in new directions. First, though, we must determine where exactly we would like to end up next year.

Whether you feel you’ve worked hard enough and are ready to move on or you won’t settle for any school that is less than excellent, the application and decision process will be stressful and tedious.

Before anyone sets their standards too high or too low, it is important to realize we can all be successful, especially if we choose the college or university that fits us the best. Forget about where your friends are going or where the rankings are highest and make sure it is the best place for you.

A popular 1999 study completed by Alan Krueger and Stacy Dale concluded salaries of elite college graduates and moderately selective college graduates differed very little 20 years after graduation. This study was redone in 2011 with identical results. Writer Gregg Easterbrook also concluded job satisfaction and social value are unaffected by the college one attends.

With this information, I ask the seniors to really think about yourselves. Think about what you want to study and what kind of peers and professors you want to spend everyday with. After you’ve done that, choose the school that best meets all of your criteria, put everyone else’s expectations aside and you will be on the path to success.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Emma Love at [email protected].