A cover story in the USA Today revealed that first-year college students are by far the most at-risk among all college students for death or illness. Health and safety awareness can be the best defense for your high school seniors.

A USA TODAY analysis of 620 deaths of four-year college and university students since Jan. 1, 2000, finds that freshmen are uniquely vulnerable. They account for more than one-third of undergraduate deaths in the study, although they are only 24% of the undergraduates at those institutions, according to National Center for Education Statistics data analyzed by the American Council on Education for USA TODAY.

The most common causes of death for college freshmen include:

High school students should be very aware of the consequences of their choices, as well as be alerted to the real dangers of crime, drinking and drug activity, and depression on college campuses. There are resources available for students who need help, but it is the student’s responsibility to take advantage of the resources.

In addition to providing information about college choice, scholarships, financial aid and adjusting to college, make it a priority to promote safety on campus, so that mistakes in judgment do not turn into coming-of-age tragedies.