It’s finally senior year for the Class of 2025! As high school comes to an end, many students have to face reality and figure out their next steps in life.

The Class of 2025 has spent the past four years learning and absorbing everything they need to determine their paths after graduation.

As seniors approach graduation, most are applying to colleges and for scholarships. The process of applying to colleges and thinking about the transition from high school can be intimidating, but it is also very exciting!

Brynn McPeak, Class of 2025, says, “My top school is Florida State University because I love the warm weather, and my family is moving there after graduation, so I’ll get in-state tuition!”

In Maryland alone, 64.1% of students go directly to college after graduation. Even more students graduate from high school, in 2018-19 the graduation rate in the United States was 86%!

Students applying to four-year universities are excited about the freedoms of being independent, such as sleeping in on some days and meeting new people.

Another option that many seniors choose after graduation is to attend Frederick Community College (FCC) for two years and then transfer to a four-year university. This is a great option for students who are unsure about their future plans and want to save money.

Lorianne Barrett, Class of 2025, is attending FCC after graduation. She says “I am not 100% sure what I want to do yet, and it is the more financially responsible option.” She also hopes to attend West Virginia University or SUNY Syracuse after two years to study wildlife biology.

Attending FCC can help students feel like they have more options for school or jobs in the long run. It is beneficial to get core underclassmen classes out of the way before transferring to a four-year college.

However, these are not the only options for graduating seniors! Some students plan to go straight into the workforce and jumpstart their careers.

For example, Ivan Ortega, Class of 2025, says, “I plan to continue working in the food industry and then transfer over to another part of the industry.” He also plans to eventually attend college and earn a degree in business so he can start his own.

Going straight into the workforce is a great idea for students who are certain about their career goals and understand the steps they need to take to succeed in that industry.

Some seniors have known what they want to do in college for a long time, and many have committed to universities for varsity sports.

Although committing to a school is relatively rare, Overall, a little over 7% of high school athletes (about 1 in 13) go on to play a varsity sport in college, and less than 2% of high school athletes (1 in 57) go on to play at NCAA Division I schools.

One student in particular, Evie Raithel, Class of 2025, is committed to St. Bonaventure University for Division I lacrosse! When talking about the commitment process, she says, “The coach reached out to me with interest, and then I attended a prospect camp, toured the campus, and then finally committed!”

This is an exciting process for student-athletes, as they get to attend prospect camps like Evie’s and hear from coaches who are interested in having them play at that university!

Even though committing to play a sport is rare and sometimes difficult, there are many other opportunities to play sports in college, such as club sports or intramural sports.

Club sports are intercollegiate athletic teams funded and often founded by a university or college’s students. They compete against other schools and participate in games and tournaments. They also have more organization regarding leagues, competition, coaches, and structure than intramural sports.

On the other hand, intramural sports are recreational and usually not as competitive, as they are played against other students from the same school. They are typically just for fun and exercise.

Committing is not the only option for college students and athletes; there are multiple activities to choose from.

There are so many different paths you can take after graduation, depending on what’s best for your future!