With the end of February coming up, many Seniors are already making their college decisions. The Class of 2026 is finally starting to feel the end of the year coming up, and they’re on the edge of a major life transition. One of them being which college they decide to go to for the next two or four years. Most people look forward to seeing what everyone’s future holds.
Senior Grayce Lilly commented on what college she decided on for next fall; “I decided to attend Illinois State University in the fall! When I went to visit and get a tour, I immediately fell in love with the campus and how nice everyone was. It felt so welcoming for me.” Lilly has been set on going to ISU for a while, and is looking forward to being close to home but still being able to go to a really good college.
On the other hand, Senior Grace Johnson hasn’t always known where she would end up next fall. She shared, “I actually ended up applying to 9 different schools because I had free in-state applications from a college fair. I applied to the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, Indiana University, Purdue, the University of Wisconsin Madison, and a few other Illinois schools.”
When making sure they decided on the right college, they both thought about what school would be the best for their major, and also if it was the right fit with being close or far away from home. Johnson wanted to be able to still be close to home with other activities she is involved in. “I ended up choosing the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign because it is close enough to home where I can see my family and continue my rodeo career, while still getting an exceptional education and an amazing college life.” For Lilly, her decision relied on whether or not the schooling would work best for her teaching major. “I made my final decision by going through and looking online for the type of program I would want to be in, and ISU is known for a good teaching program.”
With the ’25-’26 school year coming to a close quickly, and summer approaching, the nerves and the reality is really starting to kick in for the seniors. In only a couple of months school will be out and they will all be thinking about dorm room ideas, figuring out what to buy, moving out, and focusing on their future paths. “I’m most excited about meeting new people and finding new activities to get involved in,” Lilly remarked. Johnson addressed, “I am the most nervous about seeing if I will like staying in Illinois or not because I was heavily debating between UIUC and IU. Other than that, I am extremely excited to become an Illini!”
Ava Wilson, Staff Writer
wilav26@sages.us
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