A Birthday Present: Accepted to the School of My Dreams Autumn Chubbs, a student at Long Beach Polytechnic in Long Beach, Calif., is one of eight high school seniors blogging about their college searches for The Choice. I received the good news on my birthday: The school I've been waiting for has finally accepted me. I will be attending San Diego State University in the fall. The stress is finally over! I can't wait to officially become an Aztec. It feels good to receive notice that you have been accepted to the school of your dreams. I didn't get the acceptance letter in time to apply for the presidential scholarship, so I missed an opportunity to get some extra money. But the good news is that I did receive financial aid, which will help us out with everything. I still need to apply for more scholarships to cover some of my expenses. A word of advice to my fellow seniors: Keep checking your e-mail, even if you've been accepted to the school you want, because some things can be incomplete. When I checked my e-mail I realized that the EOP application I submitted was incomplete, and I had to send some more info in. Although it was late to submit it, they still accept you. The same is true with financial aid. Submit your application, even if you missed the deadline. You may not receive the full award, but they give you some amount of money, which is better than nothing. Checking my e-mail regularly, I saw that I missed the deadline to register for the Harambee Weekend at San Diego State. The deadline was in early February, and I didn't get accepted until late February. My mother called the director of the event and I was able to stay the weekend and experience college life. Even though we're now considered adults, if your parents are willing to help, let them. Sometimes things are overwhelming and we still need help from somebody. If family is not available, always talk to a mentor or a counselor to guide you. My mentor, Tameika Timmons, still helps me out even though I know which college I'm going to. There is still a lot to do, even after you've been accepted. For example, choosing the right dorm that you can afford is one of the many things that needs to be done. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Ms. Chubbs, a student at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, Calif., is one of eight seniors blogging about their college searches for The Choice until May. To comment on what Ms. Chubbs has written, please use the comment box below.