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The six students the Monitor tracked represented a wide range of schools (public, private, charter), ethnicities, academic success, and interests. Here's where they ended up – and their best advice to high-school seniors contemplating college:

Emma Forrest: Somerville (Mass.) High School.

Colleges: Smith (yes), UMass Amherst Commonwealth Honors College (yes), Bryn Mawr (yes), Mt. Holyoke (yes), Swarthmore (wait list), Brown (wait list).

Attending: Smith College.

Best advice: "Consider early decision if there are colleges you really like. I regret having to wait until April to hear back. Visit colleges. They all sound pretty similar in their publicity, but actually going there can really give you an idea of whether you'd be happy there."

Ruben Solages: Prospect Hill Academy, Cambridge, Mass.

Colleges: University of Hartford (yes), Regis (yes), University of New Haven (no), Mass college of Pharmacy (no), Clark University (no), Drew University (no), College of New Jersey (no).

Attending: Regis College.

Best advice: "Write the essay during summer vacation!"

Alex McSweeney: Brimmer and May School, Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Colleges: St. Lawrence University (yes), Hobart William Smith (yes), University of Vermont (yes), Chapman University (yes), Union College (wait list), Skidmore (wait list), Gettysburg (wait list), University of San Diego (wait list), Pepperdine (no).

Attending: University of Vermont.

Best advice: "If you can finish the essay and even some of the common app before school starts, the stress level is way lower during the year. The only thing I'd do differently now is apply early action so I would know my options sooner."

Juan Martinez: Brimmer and May School.

Colleges: Boston College (yes), Fordham University (wait list), Fairfield University (yes), Xavier University (yes), Loyola College in Maryland (yes), University of Scranton (yes).

Attending: Boston College.

Best advice: "I wouldn't have applied to as many 'other option' schools. I wish I could have saved my parents the money for the application because, looking back, there is probably no way I would've gone to some. I regret I didn't apply early."

David Stasio: Revere (Mass.) High School.

Attending: Bunker Hill Community College.

Best advice: "I would have tried harder and slacked off less."

Vadilson Pina: Prospect Hill Academy.

Colleges: Boston College (applied early, deferred; regular admission, yes), Haverford (yes), Villanova (applied early, deferred; regular admission, yes), Fordham (yes), Providence College (wait list), Holy Cross (no), Brown (no), Harvard (no).

Attending: Haverford.

Best advice: "Do early action. Send your regular application in early, not the day of the deadline."