Seniors going to variety of places after high school

By Austin Cohea | Big Stick Editor |

Students are venturing to far places for college and have to make preparations. Elijah Gonzalez has been accepted to Rice University in Houston.

“I’m planning on majoring in chemical engineering, so I’ve made sure to take plenty of AP classes for the last two years,” Gonzalez said. “I visited the campus over the summer and took a tour just to make sure that it was the right university for me.”

Matthew Mandell is going to Korea. Mandell’s parents have both lived there, and he’s going because he enjoys the culture and because tuition is cheaper and his scholarship is paying for 75% of his tuition.

Senior Audrianna Leal picks up her cap and gown from Josten’s. She and other seniors are busy making choices about their next steps. Photo by Austin Cohea

Chloe Pargas plans on pursuing Communications Design at the Pratt Institute in New York.

“I stumbled upon it, it had everything I wanted,” Pargas said, “I believe taking every opportunity you can is insanely important to keep yourself prepared for the future.”

For underclassmen thinking about taking the leap, counselors and teachers recommend that Juniors take the SAT and the ACT before their senior year.

“At the beginning of their senior year they need to start applying sending scores and transcripts to those schools so they can get in to early decision, so they can get first dibs on dorms scholarships, things of that nature,” Counselor James Spencer said, “The best thing is to talk to the college and career advisors, or come to their counselor.”