West Ashley High School held the second annual College Decision Day on May 17, 2017, to recognize all graduating seniors who have been accepted to a college or university or have enlisted in the military. This year, 75 seniors were in attendance. All total, 28 colleges / military branches were represented at this year’s event.
College Decision Day is a national event designed to recognize high school seniors who plan to continue their education at the postsecondary level by attending a college or enlisting in the military. Those who hold the event often invite juniors as a way of encouraging them to start thinking about their future plans and where they want to end up after high school.
Part of the idea for College Decision Day came from the NCAA’s National Signing Day as a way to demonstrate the idea that excelling in the classroom should be given the same attention as excelling on the athletic field. NCAA’s National Signing Day is when seniors from around the country sign letters of intent to play a particular sport for a specific college. Oftentimes, student-athletes involved in signing days participate in press conferences or some other sort of formal presentation to acknowledge their accomplishment.
By presenting student’s future plans in this way, the hope is that the same excitement and attention will be given to student’s academic plans as well as their athletic ones. College Decision Day also ties in to former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher and Better Make Room initiatives. The programs use teachers, school counselors, and other adults to help students see college and other postsecondary choices as affordable options.
College Decision Day at West Ashley High was planned out and organized by the Wildcat P.R.E.S.S. (publicity recognizing events, students, and success) Team and the School Counseling Department. To sign up for the event students had to turn in their college acceptance or military enlistment letter. Students were required to wear gear that represented their college or military branch in order to attend the event.
