Dear Early College Graduating Class of 2017,

You are finally at the beginning of your super-senior (or senior, you overachiever, you) year! You are finally seeing the finish line come into view, your high school diploma and most likely your Associate's Degree, finally within reach. As you are finishing up your journey, please consider some advice from a member of the early college class of 2016.

1. Stay on top of your schoolwork.

I know, I know, EVERYONE says this, but the appeal to relax in your second semester gets stronger (and with college classes, this is not a good philosophy to have). If you start pushing off homework now, you will be in a whole world of trouble when midterms and finals come around. Also, four year universities can actually change your admission status based on your final transcripts, so yes, you need to stay on top of everything.

2. Still make sure you have some fun.

It is your last year before going off to college or entering the workforce, so do make sure you block out some time to have fun (all legal fun, you don't want to ruin any of your plans for Fall 2017). Hang out with friends, go see the newest movie or join clubs that you wanted to but had not had a chance to. Just make sure you keep everything you do balanced with your schoolwork.

3. Tour schools you are interested in.

By now, you probably have a pretty good idea of where you would like to go next year, and that's great! Even if you have your heart 100% set on one school, go out and tour it (and the other schools you want to apply to). What I did was I toured Salem for the second time within three weeks of receiving my acceptance letter and then toured again when the school had its Accepted Applicant Overnight visit. You might think you know every little thing about your top choice school, but being able to see it in person adds a new spin to everything. Who knows, one of the schools you tour and were not considering might end up becoming your top choice and leave you in a scenario like mine.

4. Stay on top of application deadlines!

I know I'm starting to sound like our guidance counselors, but this is a HUGE one! Every school has its own deadlines for when applications are due, and even then it can change based on the type of application you are completing (early decision, early notification or regular decision). Some schools might have an open deadline on applications with a short turnover, while others might have a rigid, set in stone date with a just as rigid decision release period. And then you also have scholarship deadlines that very rarely change, as well as the FAFSA, which should be done as soon as your parents file their taxes -- if you are a dependent.

5. Enjoy every moment!

Graduation comes up so much faster than you expect it to! Enjoy every minute your final year of high school. Laugh until your stomach hurts with your friends. Cook dinner for your family, get a good night's sleep (when you can!). As long as you keep balance with everything that you need to do, you should be good to go for the year.

You've survived and thrived at the majority of the early college experience. Have a great final year Class of 2017!

Sincerely,
Kim Snyder
CCTL Early College High School Class of 2016