Will they accept me? How will I make enough money to support myself? Did I apply for enough scholarships? Were my ACT and SAT scores good enough? These are just a few questions that high school seniors all over the country are asking themselves. When asked what is pressuring him most about the future , Jay Schulte, a senior, stated “Well I’d say the unknown, not having a certainty about my life. High school isn’t important anymore so it’s all about the future. And there’s a pressure to know what I’m doing when really, no one knows what they’re doing anyway.” Schulte applied to six different schools and two scholarships. He is a swimming state champ and is looking forward to swimming in college. Although he is on track for his future education, Schulte believes he couldv’e done better academically. “I’d work harder preparing for the SAT and ACT because that’s what schools look at. I’d focus more on college early on and realize that the little things I do now affect my future.” Schulte’s advice on on preparing for college was this: “The earlier the better. Don’t ‘not’ do things because of what people think. Be yourself and take advantage of the opportunities before you. Do well in school. Not even kidding. It makes such a big difference. Dream big for your life and don’t sell yourself short.” Senior Eric Esplin, applied to four different schools and two scholarships. He agrees with Schulte’s stance on the SAT and ACT scores “If I would’ve changed anything about high school I would have tried to get a higher score on the ACT, by downing more time studying for it.” “Keep you grades up, because it makes a huge difference, and start getting ready for the ACT and SAT now” is Esplin’s advice on to those preparing for college. Pete Mandel is a student counselor at A.J. Dimond High school. When asked about advice he gives to students preparing for college, Mandel said “Take the most rigorous course you can manage. It will prepare you for college.” Mandel stressed scholarships as a chief focus after applying for schools, “if someone is willing to give away their money to you, take advantage of it!” He went on to say, “Start looking at scholarships early on so that you can find the ones that are agreeable to you, and so you can control the criteria needed where you can be in a position to be eligible for that scholarship later on.” Mandel counsels students to enroll in outside of school activities, such as sports, mentorships and jobs. These kind of enterprises make you stand out, and if you have a particular talent in one of them, it will make you unique. “Pursue your interests,” says Mandel. “Have meaningful and enriching experiences so that you know what to do, and where to go with your life.”