“Congratulations to Suzy Smith on her decision to attend University of Michigan where she will major in business and minor in psychology on a pre-law track!”
Gaining popularity in the past decade, especially after an era of COVID, Instagram college commitment pages have become apparent in the high school community. Seniors use this platform throughout their year in two main forms: expressing their academic future and mainstreaming potential connections.
During COVID, many high school traditions were stripped away, leaving a severe lack of morale and connection in many communities. Seniors were deprived of the special traditions that were supposed to make the end of their high school career memorable. Trying to regain such connection, students across the nation began creating Instagram accounts to share the next steps of their classmates. These pages fostered a sense of connection during a time of significant isolation and remained relevant long after the peak COVID years.
Within high schools, a student, typically a senior, steps up to run a designated Instagram page that has no affiliation with the high school itself. As the year progresses, the account amasses a following as seniors begin to send their decisions in. These pages are fairly standard in the information given, with Viator, Prospect, Hersey, and Maine West all having pages bearing a distinct resemblance. The information included consists of the senior’s name, college, major, and athletic plans. The provided information allows seniors to recognize their peer’s futures and gives underclassmen the opportunity to gain exposure to potential universities and majors.
“It’s nice seeing all the different colleges out there. It gives me a better idea of what I should be considering when I have to pick,” said junior Olivia Strozak.
As high school commitment pages have gained popularity, colleges have also started to make use of the idea with students creating pages to display those who have committed and are still tentative for the upcoming year. These posts contain a short biography discussing where the student is from, what they are majoring in, their likes/dislikes, and if they are in need of a roommate. Students can scroll through, see who might have a compatible personality, and reach out. This removes much of the frantic searching and total lack of knowing when finding a roommate. Especially when significant distance is a factor, these pages help foster connection and establish ease for the next four years.
“Committing is stressful, so it’s great to have a platform to be able to find roommates and see if you guys match,” said senior Clare McDonough.
Viator’s page, @svhs2024decisions, currently has twenty-one decisions. Seniors, make your commitments, and be sure to send them in!