Students gathered outside the gym after school on May 1. to celebrate their future colleges. They marked a large map of the US with the location of their prospective schools and took photos against the Tracy High School backdrop. 

“It’s an event that the kids tend to do year to year basically it gives them an opportunity to showcase what their next steps in their journey are,” Activities Director Cameron Chitwood said. May 1. is officially National College Decisions Day, and it is also the day many colleges require kids to finalize their choice of campus.  

Senior Amogh Shankar expressed his reason for choosing UC Berkeley. “It had that sort of research biological science field that I liked,” he said. “It had a lot of nature compared to other colleges and I sort of liked that environment.” 

If he could offer advice to students about college applications, he’d advise “don’t enter into things you don’t know about or don’t like.” 

Senior Danny Nadar candidly expressed his feelings for the transition.

“It’s overwhelming, there’s a lot of people,” Nadar said about his college campus, UCLA. “But I also really like to enjoy myself because its LA.” 

“You can do the best of the best- because for me I was really doubting myself… but it turned out good,” Nadar told future applicants. 

IB Diploma Candidate Dimeera Kadiwala, who will also attend UCLA, is most excited about “spending time on campus and meeting new friends.” 

“I don’t really know too many people on campus so I would say definitely, like, assimilating into college life and making sure I can keep up with my classes,” Kadiwala said when asked about her concerns for the fall.  Kadiwala plans to be pre-med and join the medical field in the future.  

“I would tell myself that getting rejected from other things doesn’t automatically mean you’re not going to get into, like, your dream schools…. It doesn’t have any bearing on your future.” Kadiwala advised. 

IB Diploma Candidate Danica Cerrillos explained her excitement to gain new freedom. 

“I can go shopping whenever I want, I can buy my own groceries for the first time,” IB Diploma Candidate Danica Cerrillos said. “Ultimately I really want to fall in love with learning again.” 

“Do what you want to do, make the best of your high school experience,” Cerrillos said. “It’s not really a reflection of you but rather a reflection of the [college’s] fit.” 

Chitwood advises bulldogs to “go where you feel like home… or when you get there, try to look for elements that make you feel at home.”