Credit: Sophia Verma

WSPN’s Sophia Verma explores the impact and excitement surrounding this year’s college announcement page for seniors, “waylanddecisions24.” The Instagram account is a space for the seniors to share their future plans with friends and classmates. “I definitely think that [the account] doesn’t really affect how I apply because I’ve already applied to five schools,” senior Ellie Brogan said. “So for me, it’s now just a long waiting game, but it’s definitely a bit of a stressor just to see how other people have already committed to a school.”

As college decisions start to roll in for Wayland High School’s senior class, an Instagram account called “waylanddecisions24” aims to inject some fun into what some students consider a stressful process. The account encourages graduating seniors to reveal and celebrate their post-graduation plans. Students send the account their preferred name, senior photo, the name of the school they’re attending, their major and their college sport if applicable. The account has close to 700 followers and has become a place for seniors to congratulate each other as they prepare for their next chapters after high school.

With early decision and early action results beginning to be released, the celebratory posts on the account aim to give followers a glimpse into the next adventures of WHS seniors.

“It’s simultaneously encouraging and anxiety inducing because I see all these people who are getting their early decision acceptance letters,” senior Ellie Brogan said.

It can be normal for seniors to feel anxious as they watch their peers announce early college acceptances. However, the account aims to provide a lighthearted spirit towards the college decision process, which leads some seniors to believe that continuing the Instagram tradition could be a comforting ritual for graduating classes to come.

“I don’t mind [the tradition],” senior Ciaran Murphy said. “I think it’s a good way for everyone to support each other as you move onto something new.”

As seniors progress through what some feel is an emotional time of their lives, “waylanddecisions24” looks to provide a sense of hope and community. For some teens, seeing familiar faces announce their future plans can provide communal excitement. Yet, with each post, some students feel that the pressure mounts even higher to secure an acceptance letter.

“It’s an extra thing to see while you’re waiting,” Murphy said. “It does kind of dial up the ‘oh my God, am I going to get in somewhere,’ but also seeing people that you know really well and know as students getting into places is also kind of encouraging, because it’s like, ‘oh, if they got in I can probably get in too.’”

While the account allows students to publicly share their college decisions, it can also provide applicants awaiting college decisions a look into their peers’ choices. This visibility can both increases worries about acceptance and also reassure seniors by showcasing those achieving admission goals, but to some, the account doesn’t seem to impact them much.

“To be honest, I kind of figured out where I’m applying a long time ago,” senior Benjamin Mohnkern said. “[The account] hasn’t really affected me much.”

When seniors come across new posts on the page, they discover where their peers have been accepted and what lies ahead for them. For some students, it adds a layer of intrigue and engagement to the college application process, as each post contributes to the evolving narrative of their peers’ journeys. The account can be a captivating experience for many that can foster a connection and understanding among seniors as they navigate this moment in their lives.

“For me, the biggest part of that whole page is the fact that [students are] declaring a major,” Brogan said. “So if I see somebody on the page and they’re going to [Boston University] or [Boston College] for finances or economics or something like that, I don’t usually associate them with that. So for me, I think it’s a little bit of a shock to see the fact that they are so interested in it that they’re willing to commit the next four years.”

While declaring a major signals a commitment to a new academic and social path, some seniors also value the social bonds and friendships that they have built over these past four years. Some students are already thinking ahead as to how they can stay connected with classmates after graduation and as they disperse to different colleges or jobs. For others, it hasn’t quite registered yet that the high school experience of seeing their closest friends on a daily basis will soon come to an end.

“There’s a group of people that are great, like [they are] my really close friends,” Murphy said. “It doesn’t even quite register yet that next year we [won’t] all show up to the same place in the morning and mess around. But it’s obviously going to have to register at some point.”