For seniors, the end of an era is rapidly approaching. After four seemingly too fast years in high school at Saint Paul Academy and Summit School, college is most definitely on the horizon for the Class of 2021. As college applications are done or nearing completion, students are eagerly waiting to hear back from the college of their dreams, and some of them have already heard back from the colleges they applied to. The thought of leaving almost everything behind and going to a new place for the next four years is very daunting. The thought of leaving is also bittersweet, as seniors will potentially be leaving many friends and family members behind on their four-year journey. However, there is most definitely a sense of excitement amongst the seniors.

The thought of college evokes a whirlpool of emotions amongst the seniors of SPA. Some are happy to move on, others will be sad to leave their longtime friends behind, and some have a mix of both. “I am very excited about college. I have heard back from a few of the colleges I have sent applications to, but am still waiting to hear back from the others. While I am going to be sad to leave my friends at SPA behind, I am excited for what the future holds for me,” senior Noah Lindeman said.

“The application process as well as waiting for responses from colleges, to my surprise, has not caused all too much stress. While it may have been a bit of a hassle, I am relieved that I am done with it and now it is all downhill from here,” Lindeman said.

Fellow senior T.J. Isberg feels similarly about leaving for college. “I am most likely going out of state for college, so it will definitely be a change. However, I am excited to meet new people, experience new things, and learn. I will definitely miss the boys, but we will be able to stay in touch via social media and see each other during the summer,” Isberg said.

“I personally did not have too much trouble with the college application process. The Common App wasn’t too bad, and all that remains for me is to wait. The suspense is a bit annoying as I would like to hear back from all of the colleges I applied to, but it doesn’t add too much stress to my everyday life,” Isberg said.

So while the seniors are busy writing the final chapters of their SPA careers, the thought of college provides something good to look forward to in a time of uncertainty.