For many seniors, much of the last year in high school is spent thinking about college life. Being accepted to a college is only the beginning of slowly but gradually leaving high school. Even though being accepted to a college is the first step to leaving high school, responsibilities last until the very last day of the school year.

“After a senior has been, or anybody, has been accepted to college, the colleges are sent a final transcript after grades are posted the second semester,” assistant principal Kristen Sommers said. “Colleges at that point have the ability to come back and revoke your admission to their university based on your grades or any other criteria as well, so finishing off the year strong is important because those grades still matter to the colleges.”

Although acceptance to a college might be the crowning point of leaving high school, there are still steps that students have to take in order to begin their college journey and be prepared for what is ahead.

“After being accepted to a college, students need to make sure that they read everything, all the mail or the emails that they get from their colleges, so that they make sure that they meet deadlines for freshmen orientation,” Sommers said. “The really important one is their housing information if they’re going to live in a dorm, finding their roommate, all of that kind of stuff, but it’s really and truly, as exciting and fun as it is, it’s not moving onto college before you actually graduate high school.”

Although there is a lot to do for seniors after getting accepted to a college, the stress load is dramatically reduced for most.

“The stress after being accepted to college, there’s not much really there because once you apply and everything, it’s kind of like the stress is right there once you apply and you’re just like oh let’s see if I actually get accepted or not,” senior Victoria Ortiz said. “Once you get accepted, that kind of just like takes down a lot of the stress and you’re just like okay well now I can’t quit on doing my school work so I still have to keep going with all my stuff and everything so the colleges actually look at everything you’re doing right now after you get accepted.”

Although there are skills to learn before leaving high school, the most challenging skills may come during the college years.

“The responsibilities, obviously studying in high school is the biggest thing because it’s what colleges look at and your grades too,” Ortiz said. “Once you go to college you have to keep those responsibilities and you have to look at the goal as in your next step is to graduate from college and do good. Partying, that’s fun and all that, but at the same time if you do that too much and you don’t concentrate on your school work, then what’s the point of going to college and graduating like that.”

Although being accepted to a college may be the main achievement, finishing off the school year strong can be the key to starting college off strong.

“It’s important because whatever habits you develop in high school you’re going to carry over into college and it’s really easy to start slacking off in high school, but then it’s really difficult to pick those good study habits up when you get to college,” Sommers said. “Keeping up those good habits and finishing strong is important.”