Seniors are stressed to complete their college applications, the tedious and tiring pathway to their futures, with hopes and excitement of getting into their dream schools. 

College applications are a big part of determining a student’s future, and taking them seriously will lead to their greatest success. College and career readiness advisor Jen Boelts recommends students to “review the requirements of what you need to complete far in advance… college applications are an important part of the high school experience and preparing for your future.”

Senior Anoova Sattar has worked hard to ensure her application is flawless. “There’s a lot of background and basic information to fill out on top of worrying about perfecting my writing,” Sattar explained. Furthermore, she expressed how refining her essays “too much may take out all the emotion behind it, so finding a good balance of the two has been very difficult.”

Juniors may believe they still have one more year; however, Boelts recommends that students start on their essays as soon as possible and “to always do it early.” Brainstorming topics for personal essays is always a good idea. Sattar explained it’s her only chance to “connect with the admissions officers through [her] writing, since that’s the only impression they get.”

Sattar recommends “talking to teachers about rec letters towards the end of junior year at the latest and revisiting it according to what they say.” Teachers are very busy, and regardless of how good a student someone is, they can still decline if they’re not notified far enough in advance. 

“Nothing’s worse than a student coming to me and saying that they have to get their application completed by Monday and they have not yet asked for letters of recommendation,” Boelts explained. “You can stay up all night till 3 a.m. working on your side of the application, but you shouldn’t expect someone who’s writing a letter of recommendation to do that.”

For seniors preparing for the next big chapter in life, staying organized will ensure their greatest success and demonstrate their capability to succeed in college. “The college application process has been both strenuous and exciting since I have the opportunity now to look at tangible options for my future, but also have to worry about whether it’s going to go as planned,” Sattar stated.