It’s the question that high school students are asked continuously until the day they graduate: what comes next?

On May 1, many students deliver an answer. National Decision Day is May 1, and seniors traditionally choose this day to announce their commitment to a particular college or university.

“Sometimes you don’t know where everyone’s going, so it’s a surprise sometimes,” said Kyle Johnson, senior.

This deadline is a nationwide standard (though some schools’ deadlines vary) and was put in place in order to secure numbers for housing, class sizes, and overall enrollment statistics. State schools are typically more lenient with these deadlines, while private universities tend to be more stringent.

At HHS, students participated in the annual event by sporting the college gear of their decided school.

Carissa Hilgers, senior, has committed to University of Wisconsin- Stout.

“I participated in [Decision Day] because it’s really fun to see where everyone’s going and represent where you’re going,” Hilgers said.