May 1st is a few days away, and it is time for seniors to make THE BIG DECISION. While this can be a daunting task for many, here are a few strategies that may make it easier.

1) Make a list of pros and cons for each of your top choices. While this may seem like an elementary strategy, seeing positives and negatives on paper may help tilt the scales in one direction or another. For each school, list all the positive and negative factors that you can think of. List the most important pros and cons at the top of the list. Then, if you are noticing similar pros or cons across multiple schools, you can cross them out and eliminate some of the noise getting in the way of your decision.
2) Consider going to college as an investment in your future. Hopefully, the college you choose will help you towards the life you want for yourself. Consider the costs (or the loans) and think about your next steps four years from now. Do you plan on going to graduate school? What industry do you hope to enter one day? Which school is best suited to get you there (and at what expense)?
3) Trust yourself. If you are choosing between colleges that you have visited, trust yourself. You are best suited to decide which felt like a better place for you to live, learn and grow as a person. Try to block out where your peers are going, or which school is ranked higher, and focus on your experience at each institution.
4) Remember, this is not a life or death decision. If one year from now you come to the realization that your school is not a perfect fit for you, you can transfer. Many students transfer or take time off to reconsider their decision and still have fulfilling, wonderful and fruitful lives.

Good Luck!!