National College Decision Day (May 1) is quickly approaching, and high school seniors across the country are gearing up to commit to colleges. Choosing a college to attend is one of the most exciting and life-changing events in the lives of hundreds of thousands of young adults, but the good news is that the stress of applications and decisions is almost over. Now is the time for the fun part: announcing to your friends, family, and peers the next step in your academic journey.
College Decision Day videos have been a key part of college decisions for Gen Z. In the past few years, students have been letting their creativity shine during this time of year as College Decision Day approaches. The videos are fun to make and easy to do no matter which college you choose. Whether you’ve known where you’re going to college for years or just now discovered the perfect campus for you, here are the best tips for filming a College Decision Day video.
- Use Merch from each school you were considering.
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One trend many teens are participating in is setting up baseball caps, shirts, pins, or other merch from each school they are considering, and slowly eliminating each item until they end up with the college they committed to. Including merch items in your video is a fun way to keep your family and friends on their toes as they wait to see where you committed.
- Collaborate with your friends.
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One way to make your Decision Day video more fun is to do it with friends. This video from Woodward Academy in Georgia is the perfect example of a group of peers celebrating their college decisions together! Bonus points if you use fashion to share your decision like they did.
- Record your reaction to opening the letter or email.
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A classic way to film your video is to set up a recording as you are reading the letter or email from the university. This way, your watchers will get to experience the excitement right along with you as you learn the news.
- Don’t be afraid to be real.
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College acceptance season is bittersweet, and an unfortunate but common part of this time of year is that many students will be rejected from schools. Some students have been sharing their rejections in their College Decision Day videos to show the real and painful parts of college applications. Being rejected is an uncomfortable part of life, but students in these videos are showing solidarity with their peers who are experiencing disappointment.
No matter how you choose to announce your college decision, be proud of all of the accomplishments you’ve made to get to this point. The stress of the college admissions process is almost over, and the reveal videos will be a fun beginning to the new chapter in your life.