On May 1, high school students across the country celebrated Decision Day — the national deadline to commit to a college or university.
The tradition of commitment day arises from a policy set by the National Association for College Admission Counseling. The NACAC established that colleges participating in its organization must give students until May 1 to make their decisions in order to standardize the college admissions process and give students enough time to weigh their options.
Over time, this date has evolved into a widely recognized celebration. Largely in part to social media, Decision Day has become a moment for seniors to proudly share their post-graduation plans by wearing their college apparel, taking pictures with friends and celebrating with classmates.
At WHS, seniors were invited to arrive early and gather in the gym for photos in front of the iconic blue “Westfield” wall — a staple of Decision Day posts for WHS students on social media.
“My favorite part was going in and taking pictures with my friends,” said senior Nora McHugh. “I feel like that’s such a monumental part of everybody’s WHS experience. You always see the blue ‘Westfield’ wall in the background on Instagram and everybody looks forward to that part.”
However, the excitement didn’t end with photos. Throughout the day, seniors could be seen proudly wearing their future school’s apparel, filming TikToks and sparking conversations about the hard work and personal journeys that led to their choices.
Senior Alice Xi said, “I’ve loved seeing where everyone’s going to school after working so hard. It’s just been so nice to celebrate our accomplishments.”
Many teachers also embraced the day as an opportunity to reflect on their students’ growth and sport their own alma maters through college apparel. Science Teacher Jacquelyn Smolenski said, “I think it’s really great for kids to celebrate their successes and overall this time of the year is so fun and exciting for the seniors. It’s just a great day to acknowledge their hard work and their exciting plans for the years to come.”
However, while many embrace the celebration, it doesn’t always reflect the path every student takes. “It definitely promotes the idea that college is the only path,” said Spanish Teacher Bonnie Underwood. “Especially in recent years, we’ve really been trying to promote the idea that there are lots of different paths, so I wonder if in the future [Decision Day] could be something a little more inclusive.”
Nevertheless, at WHS, Decision Day remains a day of pride and excitement for those heading off to college.