I vividly remember being in your position not too long ago, though it feels like I am no longer the same person I was then. You are in the midst of the college application process, you’re starting to get a handle on your senior-year courses, and you’re busy ruling the school through captaining sports teams and leading clubs. I, for one, was living my best life at the start of senior year, engulfed in all of the opportunities at my disposal.

One year ago, I was gearing up to submit my early decision application to a school I was certain was meant for me. I had convinced myself of this, and my friends had convinced me that not only was this school a perfect fit but that I just might even get in. As I write this, many of you are composing and proof-reading your early decision applications. You’ll suffer the agony of waiting one month to receive a decision, and if you’re lucky, that decision will be an acceptance. I, for one, sat on the couch crying, feeling genuinely embarrassed. I wasn’t expecting an acceptance, but I wasn’t prepared for a rejection.

I look back on this moment and laugh. I am even thankful because although I didn’t know it at the time, that wasn’t the path for me. I’m sure this is not the first time you’ve heard a story like mine, and I’m also sure you won’t fully understand it until you experience it yourself.

For many of you, the college process will be one of the first experiences in your life where you no longer have complete control. Sure, you’re in control of how much you study for the SAT/ACT, you were in control of your academic performance for the past four years, and you chose to participate in activities you were passionate about. However, once you press that “submit” button, the decision is out of your hands. You can’t walk up to the admissions office and beg to be accepted. You can’t have your parents make a phone call to sort things out. This is the moment where you have to trust that the work you put in is enough.

Do not let the college process define you. You could conduct years of research without ever finding an answer to the infamous question of what colleges want to see in their applicants. You may find yourself questioning what you did wrong, but most often you didn’t do anything wrong at all. It is a waste of time trying to make sense of this flawed process.

It’s hard to push through senior year as the decisions continue to arrive, but soon enough, if not already, you’ll have your shining moment where the right school chose you, and you’ll choose them too. My biggest piece of advice is that senior year is its own experience, without the college process. For me, it was by far the best year of high school. It’s not too late to reconnect with someone you lost touch with over the years. It’s not too late to try something new, like take a class you know nothing about, or join a team or club you’ve never heard of. Do something crazy on a school night. Participate in senior skip day. Make an impact in your community. Thank people who have helped you along the way. Appreciate your close friends, and even people you weren’t so close with, because you may not know if or when you’ll see them again. Finally, enjoy time with your family. They are a constant in your life, and chances are this will be your first time living without them.

Years from now, you will be remembered by your teachers and fellow students by what you did, and how you made them feel. Make your last year count! Before you know it, you’ll be sitting in my shoes, a freshman in college who is just beginning to navigate her way through the many facets of a university. Don’t let high school pass you by.