Seniors Call it Done with Their College Apps
March 29, 2016
Jan. 1 marked the new year: a time for new resolutions, goals and new beginnings. For a great number of seniors, it also marked the end of the college application process. Whether that means they turned in their applications long before the deadline or waited until precisely 11:59 p.m. that day to finally click the “submit” button, many seniors are finally breathing a sigh of relief.
“I didn’t procrastinate on my first application, but when I realized how easy the applications were, I knew that it would only take me maybe two hours to do an application, so I would do them the day before the deadline,” said Jonathan Frew, senior.
While it may seem irresponsible to leave such an important task to the last minute, it was sometimes inevitable. It’s a well-known saying that senior year is supposed to be “the best year of your life,” with little to no schoolwork and plenty of time for fun. If this were true, it should have been easy for seniors to spare the necessary time for college applications. However, the reality of senior year is that the workload isn’t any less.
“I had a hard time deciding which applications to even do, and it was hard to balance school, work and college apps,” said Quinn Galindo, senior.
Simply deciding which schools to apply to was in itself a difficult process. Since it’s the very first step, it’s very much a pivotal moment for seniors.
“To choose which schools I applied to, I looked up the rankings of the best chemical engineering schools because that’s what I want to major in,” said Frew.
The college application process consists of much more than simply filling out an application. Many schools require an extensive application, multiple writing supplements, teacher and counselor recommendations and official school records.
Regarding the students’ contributions to the application, Frew said, “The [majority of] the application is usually done on the Common App or on the specific website for the school. The usual questions involve your home life, the classes you’ve taken and the activities you’re involved in. Most schools also have one or more essays as an additional supplement.”
With so many steps to go through before clicking submit, one could imagine how difficult it would be to go it alone. To avoid going it alone, Ashley Nensel, senior, took advantage of the resources offered by MHS.
“I liked going to rep visits in the CCRC [College and Career Resource Center] in the fall. You were able to meet with a lot of school reps, which was nice,” she said. “Also the Literacy Center was helpful. I was able to meet with staff who could help me revise my essays and get another opinion on them.”
Sometimes the help came in unexpected ways. Rather than actively seeking help for his college applications, Frew found help in simply going to English class.
“The biggest help for me was actually my English teacher, Mr. [Mike] Dayton,” he said. “His teaching style for writing essays really changed the way I write and helped me realize that I just need to write what I want to say instead of trying to make my writing sound more sophisticated.”
While the academic help is important, many students feel that emotional support is what really kept them going throughout the application.
“My parents’ support definitely, pushing me to get stuff done. They really kept me on track and encouraged me to do my best,” said Galindo.
After months of nothing but college applications on their minds, many seniors have plenty of tips to pass down to their younger counterparts.
“I think it’s super important to visit colleges before you apply,” said Nensel. “You get a feel of what you’re really looking for. For example, I visited 30 colleges before this school year. It’s a little much, but [it really helped me].”
All in all, while the process was lengthy, stressful, and at times, seemingly never-ending, the seniors realized that there was so much waiting for them at the end of the path.
“It’s a really exciting part of your life, and I have a lot of opportunity now to spread my wings and fly,” said Nensel. “[It’s] exciting to look toward the future.”