Dear High School Senior,

I remember being in your exact shoes at this time last year. You probably get asked countless times per day what your plans are for next year, but you simply just don't know yet. You may feel like you're not doing something right, but trust me when I say it will all work out just fine. It may be hard, especially if all of your friends know where they're going, but trust that you'll know when you've found your home for the next four years. You'll have a moment where it'll come to you, and you will know that you've found your home.

There is nothing wrong with you just because you don't know what you want to do yet. You're about to make a huge decision of where you will spend the next four years of your life. Take your time and allow yourself to really think about where you want to be. It won't come to you right away, but at some point soon, it will. I remember sitting in my room one night studying, and all of a sudden it hit me that Penn State could be the perfect place for me. It was one of my last choices originally, but something told me that was where I was supposed to be.

It can be easy to over-analyze every decision and be upset if you didn't get into one of your favorite schools, but it is so important to remember that everything happens for a reason. If a school didn't see you fitting in there, they didn't accept you.

But that doesn't mean you can't thrive somewhere else.

The college admission process is stressful, but truthfully, most people end up where they are supposed to be. If your original favorite denied you, it can be hard to move on and see yourself anywhere else, but I can assure you that everything plays out the way it is supposed to. The fact that you were denied doesn't take away all of your many achievements and how great you are.

Right now, instead of stressing about decisions, take this time to appreciate everything about your life right now. The second semester of your senior year is truly one of the greatest times. Appreciate everything about your hometown and the familiarity of your life at the moment. Let your parents baby you a little bit because next year, you'll really be on your own. Make memories with your friends that you can look back on and be proud of. You will make so many amazing friends in college, but there is nobody like your home friends. Try not to slack off in school, because your grades still matter.

You're almost done, so you might as well finish strong.

The next four years will be so exciting, and everything will work out the way it should. Think about where you want to go, but don't let it consume you. Live in the moment, and you'll be off on a new adventure before you know it.

With love,

A College Freshman