The end of the school year a good time to take care of loose ends. If you're a high school senior who has plans for college, those plans are probably well developed by that time and the college admissions process is almost wrapped up. Nevertheless, take a look at the end of your high school career and make sure you stay on top of details.
 
One area that many seniors overlook is showing appreciation to teachers, counselors, and even parents for all the help they provided during the college selection and admission process. Take a moment right now to think back over all those who helped you along the way. There may have been one or two special teachers who provided the inspiration you needed to decide on a specific college field of study.
 
There are those teachers who wrote recommendations for you. The art of writing a good recommendation is very special. If you had success getting into your first-choice college, chances are the ecommendations that accompanied your application played an important role in the admissions committee's decision to admit you.
 
Your college counselor may have also played an important part in your college process's success. College counselors are supposed to be part coach, part teacher, part advocate, and part friend. At some schools, counselors are extremely overloaded with students, thus making the building of a close relationship quite difficult. Sometimes, though, even under difficult circumstances, students and counselors develop a special relationship that brings rewards to both the student and the counselor. Perhaps this has been your experience.
 
And what about Mom and Dad? Sometimes parents don't know a lot about the college selection and admission process, but they give you plenty of support. High schoolers frequently overlook all the little things parents contribute to the college process such as helping with application preparation, traveling to prospective colleges, discussing your feelings and aspirations, and so forth.
 
So what should you do? Showing your appreciation in some way is an excellent gesture. Send a thank-you note to the teachers and your counselor. As for your parents, perhaps you could take them out for lunch or wash the family car. The important thing is to make sure that these folks know that you appreciate what they've done.
 
Saying thanks for a job well done is something you'll never regret.