For most high school students, May 1 marks the last full month of the school year. For seniors, it marks the beginning of the next chapter of their lives: National Decision Day. 

Seniors who plan to pursue secondary education after high school often apply for college in the fall or winter. Most colleges then return their application decision to seniors in the winter or early spring.

As May 1 is the deadline for almost all schools, it has become known as National Decision Day. Made official by former First Lady, Michelle Obama, in 2015.

In the age of social media, National Decision Day is the time that most seniors will post about their plans for the fall through pictures with friends or at their college.

For some seniors, the college decision comes easy. 

Many students are lucky enough to get into their dream school, commit to a school for a sport, or get good scholarship money.

“Choosing Penn State University was an easy decision for me since it has been my dream school since I was younger,” senior Olivia Stein said.

For others, the decision can be a long process filled with many college visits, tough decisions, and hours of stress. Some students even found themselves going down a path they would have never imagined due to unforeseen circumstances.

“It was hard because I wanted to follow the path I created in my head instead of not knowing the opportunities that eventually presented [themselves],” senior Sophia Caltagirone said.

Traditionally, most colleges require that prospective students commit to their school by May 1st, often requiring an enrollment or housing deposit to secure their spot in the Freshman class.

This date can however be different if a student applied early decision to a school. Meaning that if a student applied early decision, they must attend that school, making their decision the day before the May 1 deadline.

Here at Dallastown, we celebrated our own Decision Day on Monday, May 2. 

Watch the video at the top of the article to see where some of Dallastown’s seniors will be headed next year.