After a long year of college applications, essays and standardized testing, on May 20, the Class of 2017 will walk across the graduation stage and say goodbye to high school.

The Oracle sent out a survey to the senior class regarding college advice for rising juniors and navigating  the challenging application process.

“The best advice I would give is to get everything done ASAP. Waiting until the last minute to finish an [application], or come September and your personal statement still isn’t done, creates such a damper on the process and is easily avoided, ” Alyssa Downer ’17 wrote.

Downer, who will attend the University of Southern California in the fall, said there are many opportunities for applying Early Action to colleges.

Downer was originally committed to Emory University, but ultimately changed her mind when accepted to USC.

“It’s funny because I had my heart set on Emory, and was actually committed there early,” Downer wrote. “But after I got into USC, my other first choice school, I made a pro’s and con’s list for the two schools that led me to USC.”

Fellow senior Eloise Rollins-Fife said her main advice would to try and not predict what can happen during the college process and not stress over being rejected.

“Get the best grades and test scores you can, and put your heart into your essays. Don’t worry about anything beyond that,” Rollins-Fife wrote in an email. “Unless you’re accepted somewhere [Early Decision], rejection is nearly inevitable to some degree. You are not a failure because of it. Learn to love the schools that love you back!”

Below is an interactive map that showcases the colleges Archer students will be attending next year.

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