Ah, it’s another normal, beautiful spring day in the beginning of April — for everyone but high school seniors. May 1 is national college decision day, the day that high school seniors commit to the college they will attend next fall. 

For some seniors, this is a breezy decision, that really isn’t a decision at all. You had a number one school in mind before applying, you got accepted, and now this is the exact school where you’ll be heading in the fall. 

For the remaining group, making your final decision is much more difficult. Maybe you’re going into college with a completely open mind -- you’re unsure of your major, you’re open to exploring all subjects, and you got accepted into many schools that you could see yourself attending. 

If you’re a high school senior who can genuinely envision yourself at multiple schools, this is when you have to think about what you want from your college experience. The days between when you receive an acceptance letter and when you have to make your final decision will be filled with making lists of pros and cons and weighing all your options. 

Rest assured, you will be able to make a decision in the end and when you do — the fun parts can begin! This is when you get to announce to friends and family where you’ll be going to school. 

You can make this as relaxed and simple or as big and bold as you want. Get creative with it and do it your way — you only get to make this announcement once, so make sure it’s perfect! 

Here’s our favorite ways to make your announcement: 

• Keep it Simple (Social Posts)
• Announcement Events

Keep it Simple 

Get creative with how you’re going to make your college announcement! Dogs make great mascots. 

Of course getting into college is a huge accomplishment! You wouldn’t have been able to do it without putting in hard work, volunteering and being involved in extracurriculars, playing a sport, holding a job, and showing you’re a leader who's prepared to take these next steps. Naturally, this deserves to be celebrated. 

However, if you are the type of person who would rather have a small celebration with a few close friends and family rather than hold a lavish college reveal, then this is perfectly acceptable! 

Remember that this is about doing what makes you feel best, and if you want to simply tell a few special people in person, keep it relaxed, and intimate, then that’s ok. Just because a lot of people will have big college reveal parties and announcements doesn’t mean you have to as well. 

If this sounds like you, keep it chill and simple — start by telling family and friends, then upgrade to doing a social media post. 

For most future college students, an announcement post can look like a few things. First of all, we know that certain applications have different audiences. Meaning, Instagram will mainly consist of our friends and fellow peers while Facebook is more popular among adults, including many of our family members. Because of this, we’ll want to gear our post towards the audience we’re speaking to.

The Instagram Announcement 

Many high school seniors will announce their decision by posting a picture wearing school gear or posing with a campus landmark at their future school.

There are a lot of ways to handle the classic Instagram announcement. This is a light, casual, fun, and upbeat way to get the word out quickly. All of your friends will see and comment praise and happiness for your next adventure. 

For an Instagram post, many students will choose to post a picture of themselves flashing new school gear with their college name and an official announcement in the caption. Other students will be sure to take lots of pictures on their campus tours, that way when they make a final decision, they can post a picture posing with a campus landmark. Especially if this landmark is iconic, everyone will know right away where you’re going!

Other Instagram posts can be more subtle, such as posting a picture of a campus mug, with a caption like, “Surprise!” or “It’s official.” All of these options are great, simple ways to get the word out quickly if you don’t want to host an event. 

The Facebook Post

Switching to Facebook posts, these are generally more serious. Of course they are still meant to be upbeat and positive, but the posts are typically more lengthy and thought out. Many students will post about where they will be attending college, why they chose to commit to that school, their future plans/potential major, and finish it up by thanking those who helped them accomplish this goal. 

Like we said, since Facebook will largely consist of your family members, you’ll want to take the time to shout out some of the people who had the most effect on your decision. For example, you might want to thank the person who recommended you keep that school in mind, or thank certain family members for their unwavering support and praise! 

You might also want to think about thanking teachers who played a role in influencing your choice of major, or recommending a specific school they thought would be a good fit. If any teachers wrote recommendation letters or filled out questionnaires from potential schools, you’ll want to thank them for taking the time to do that for you. 

It’s always a good idea to show appreciation now because you never know, you might need their help again in the future!

Finish out your Facebook post with a couple pictures of yourself wearing school gear, posing from your campus tour, or in your high school cap and gown. 

There’s a good chance you’re friends with more people on Facebook than on Instagram, so posting your college announcement is a great way to reach people you’re not often in contact with. For example, distant relatives, family friends who moved to a different state, etc. They’ll want to keep up with you, so they will definitely appreciate the life update. 

The TikTok Video 

Videos where students describe their stats and post where they have been accepted/rejected are extremely popular.

TikTok has hugely increased in popularity over the past year. This is especially true for college, networking, and interviewing videos that all include tips and tricks and statistics about college. TikTok has become very helpful in this regard, especially surrounding facts and statistics on college majors.

We have seen a few different college announcement videos, so we’ll break them down here. The first is a video that details the statistics which you applied to college with, all the schools you applied to, and whether or not you got accepted. The caption might include which school you have decided to attend. 

Another type of video is a straightforward reveal. You can make this exciting, do a countdown to the reveal, post the school logo, and a small video of you celebrating!

Lastly, if you’re the adventurous type, you might let TikTok reveal your school for you. Let us explain. Say you’re seriously between two or three schools, you can genuinely see yourself at any of them, they all offer great programs, and you can’t come to a final decision. 

Some students will post two or three videos and let TikTok decide where they will commit. Post one with one school, and the other with your other choice, until you’ve added videos for all your choices. Whichever one receives the most views, likes, and comments is your new home for the next four years! We know this can be scary, so only take this option if you seriously can’t decide where to go and you would be happy with any of your options. 

Announcement Events

If you’re the type who wants to do something big to celebrate your monumental achievement, you might want to have a reveal event! Some high school seniors might choose to do this in combination with an Instagram or Facebook post, that way all their friends will know where they’re going, but close family and friends can attend the event. 

This could be a Zoom call where you invite all of the most important people and they watch as you unbox a package that contains school gear. Even though you already know where you’re going, you’ll get to see their reactions as they find out! 

Another option might be similar to a gender reveal. Put your new school colors into a smoke bomb, invite people to watch, and set them off! Once you’ve released the colors, wear a shirt overtop of some school gear, take it off, and reveal the college you’ll be attending. This is a very fun and exciting way to make the announcement. 

Since many events have gone virtual, the cupcake reveal has grown in popularity! This is where you have a cupcake for each of your choices and eat the one that is your final decision. 

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If you’re holding out until the absolute last minute, you might reveal your choice on graduation night. Either by decorating your grad cap with your school colors and logos or doing a superman reveal where you wear a t-shirt underneath your gown and reveal the surprise after walking across the stage!

If you want to hold an event, get creative with it! This is a big announcement which you’ve spent the last 12-13 years working to accomplish. You earned it, so it deserves to be celebrated. 

Whether you want to do a simple social media announcement, hold a college reveal party, or do a combination of both -- do what feels right and celebrate your decision the way you want! And now that this big step is out of the way, you can start stocking up on dorm room essentials you need for freshman year!