It’s mid-April and you’re all ready to choose where you want to spend the next four to eight years of your life…

Rewind to six months earlier.

Maybe this is you now, maybe it’s a friend. But unlike many seniors, some of our peers have already decided where they are going to college.

Senior Ben Lombardi lies within the already-decided crowd, prepared to spend his college experience at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

“I visited about seven [schools] and at Alabama it felt like a place I would actually want to go back to every day and not get completely tired [of the atmosphere],” Lombardi said.

He knew in October that he wanted to attend Alabama. The school fit all of his criteria: big school, accomplished engineering program, reasonable scholarships and a campus that felt like home.

Unlike Lombardi, senior Riley Coad looked for a smaller campus and otherwise similar criteria. Coad plans to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology to study physics.

“I think it is the best fit for me personally,” she said. “My other top choice was [University of Illinois] but I prefer S&T’s smaller campus and more intimate hands on programs.”

Not only did the school fit her criteria, but it specializes in the fields that interest her the most.

“I really love science and math, so a school dedicated to just that seemed perfect,” she said.

Senior Abby Knight, a long time Mizzou fan, looked towards her dream school to make her decision easier, but ended up choosing a school seven minutes down the street.

“[Columbia College of Missouri] has smaller classes, is less expensive, and has the feeling of Mizzou, including access to all of [Mizzou’s] libraries and resources. All while having a more personalized learning experience,” Knight said.

Lombardi, Knight and Coad visited all of their intended schools at least once.

“[I visited] once officially, but many times unofficially,” Knight said. “[My official visit] was spring break of last year.”

On her visit she took a tour of the campus, including the cafeteria and dorms, met the head of the business department to discuss her intended major and met with an admissions counselor.

Coad had a similar experience at S&T, but the feeling and atmosphere of the school caught her attention the most.

“I like that everyone was there for science in one way or another,” she said. “We all had something in common, but were still in very separate fields of study.”

With the prospect of a new beginning, studying exactly what they want and a welcoming atmosphere, the enthusiasm of already-decided seniors will not diminish, even when their friends are deciding six months from now.

“I definitely feel relieved being accepted so early,” Coad said. “I think it’s still really exciting! All of my friends have been very supportive and I will be just as happy for them [when] they pick their schools too.”