There's still time for seniors prepping for college, officials say

Eyring said there are likely many young Mormon men in the class of 2011 who are trying to decide if they should go to college for a semester or work for a few months before leaving on an LDS mission. Eyring said whatever a young man and his family and church leaders decide, if he plans to pursue higher education when he returns home, he still needs to prepare for school before he leaves.

"Whether college comes before or after a mission, the preparations need to be made," Eyring said. "There needs to be a clear plan, an educational plan."

That plan includes identifying colleges of interest, taking entrance exams and obtaining application information before leaving on the two-year mission. Eyring said they need to make sure they and their family have an arrangement in place for submitting college applications while they're still out in the field.

Ward and Nickerson said they think they have a pretty good handle on their future plans, but for now, there are senior parties, drill team performances and soccer to think about. The rest will be addressed soon after graduation.

"I'm just soaking up the last few weeks of high school," Ward said.

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