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Just less than one year ago, I wrote a column on the burgeoning trend of academic signing days, events which seek to balance out the barrage of media attention for soon-to-be-collegiate athletes by recognizing soon-to-be-collegiate scholars in the same light.

Two weeks ago, through the planning and preparation of district and building officials, Fairfield conducted an Academic Signing Day, acknowledging the top 16 students in the class of 2008.

The May 1 event coincided with students' national reply date to the colleges of their choice, and teachers, parents, friends and college representatives gathered in the FHS Community Room to celebrate the 16 students' continuing educations.

By that Monday, I finally knew where I was going to college — quite surprising as I had expected to be deciding down to the final hours. My mother went online and bought me one of the school's shirts. Eager to have finally made a choice, I gave my counselor a school pennant to add to his college-covered office walls, already hung with banners and flags from the universities his previous students attended.

By the signing day on Thursday, I had sent away all my reply cards, seven "no" replies and one "yes."

During the ceremony, counselors spoke of the competitiveness of college admissions this year and told everyone the average ACT and SAT scores of the students in the room. These students were not only academic stars, but athletes, musicians and volunteers.

Perhaps the best thing about the event, though, was the genuine excitement that filled the room — parents, grandparents, current and past teachers, district officials, even a school board member all applauded for each student.

One might think that the top academic echelon of a class would often find themselves in stiff competition with each other, but all of Fairfield's top 16 are friends with one another. Many are people I've known since first grade and some of them are my closest friends. In that spirit, I want to share their accomplishments with a wider audience. It is minus the applause of the signing day, but following are all 16, listed along with their chosen college: Russell Ault, Yale University; Jared Baker, Ohio State University; Alicia Booker, Bowling Green State University; Spencer Carran, University of Miami, Fla.; Ranjit Ganguly, The Ohio State University; Jon Gordon, University of Cincinnati; Tyler Hall, Wittenberg University; Marc Keith, Ball State University; Ben Ko, University of Cincinnati; Ryan Lee, Miami University; Kara McAbee, Miami University; Sean Rose, The Ohio State University; CJ Soergel, Miami University; Sara Vinson, The Ohio State University and Julia Zavada, Miami University.

As for me? After a year of columns about the struggles and tedium of college admissions, I couldn't just slip my name in the alphabetical list; that would ruin all the fun. I want to share one last congratulations with the above 15 students and all the seniors who will be attending their chosen college next year.

If any of you are ever in Boston, look me up at Brandeis University.

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