Bend HS Seniors Busy Choosing Colleges
In just a few weeks, Bend High School seniors, like counterparts across the country, need to choose a college. Students have already learned which schools they’ve been accepted to, now they need to choose the one they believe fits them best. On Friday, three students talked about moving on to the next chapter of their lives.
Three seniors, Katie Taylor, Emily Carrick and Jennifer Tornaay, said they are still making up their minds about where to go, once their time at Bend High comes to an end.
Students visit the “Future Center” on campus for all of their college concerns. In this room, they have a computers, access to paperwork, and guidance to get through the process.
“We found out if we got in, from all of our colleges over spring break,” Taylor said. “So that was the most stressful week of my life. I found that I wasn’t sleeping, really.”
Taylor plans to major in biotechnology and has narrowed her search down to a school in Washington and one in Vermont.
“I actually got the opportunity to fly out to Vermont — they’re paying for my flight and everything,” said Taylor. “So I’m going to fly out next week and make my decision from there.”
Taylor’s friend, Emily Carrick, who is interested in neuroscience, is in the same boat. She’s narrowed it down to two schools, one in Washington and the other in Boston.
“It’s hard,” Carrick said. “I mean, if I think about it too much, I kind of get stressed out. But I’m sure wherever I go, it will be fine. And my future would be different in both places, but I’m not going to know what it would have been like.”
School councilors encourage the kids to apply to a “dream school,” a few in between, and a “for sure school.”
Senior Jennifer Tornay, who will major in pre-med or sports medicine, is deciding between Vermont and Washington as well. She knows choosing a school is the first step in a big change.
“I’m excited,” Tornay said. “It’s going to be a lot of hard work, but it’s a new chapter, and I’m really excited to explore new opportunities, and take classes I wouldn’t have a chance to do here.”
While their decisions may be up in the air for now, they three students said they will be ready to make their life-changing decisions by May 1st.
The Future Center at Bend High is there to help all students getting ready for college. They start preparing kids when they’re juniors, so they’re ready for the process.
