This article was featured in “New Beginnings”, the Fall 2021 issue of The Raider Voice Magazine.

As college application deadlines approach, seniors are in their final phases of finalizing their applications. College applications can cause many students stress. The process is long and it requires students to give up free time to work with college counselors and tutors.

“Students are feeling very stressed about the college applications because they’re due in a few days and they are working furiously trying to get everything done. We are trying to help them with the long process,” said college counselor Yasmin McGinnis. Even though the process is long and stressful, students know that their hard work will pay off.

“We are trying to get in these applications as soon as possible. We know that October is an extremely busy month, not only with school and athletic commitments for many of us, but also social commitments,” said senior Sabrina Bierman. “It takes time to work on the essays, edit them and just make sure they’re as good as possible. It’s definitely a long process.”

Some schools Bierman is applying to are NYU’s Gallatin School, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, and several other smaller schools. The college application process is lengthy because it consists of many steps. Counselors at school are able to provide support for students in the application process.

“The process begins with students beginning to understand themselves and their interests, and then over time they begin to really learn about the resources and how to match the schools with who they are and what their hopes are for the future,” Director of School and College Counseling Peter Olrich said. In every year of high school, students continue to work with their counselors to prepare for their future applications.

“In sophomore year we do some group programming with kids to learn about their transcript and their choices for the second half of their high school years. In junior year the process begins to happen,” Olrich said. “In the fall of senior year, it is all about application management, finalizing their list, going to more visits, and making final decisions about the school they want to apply to and attend.”

As the Nov. 1 Early Decision deadline passes, seniors are excited to explore their options when decision results arrive.

“I’m at the tail end of my college application process. I finished my essay and I found a lot of different schools, so I’m not done with the supplemental essays yet, but it is coming along really well,” senior Ethan Melendi said. “Most of the schools I’m applying to are early access and I’m really excited to explore this new path life is giving me.” Melendi is applying to UT Austin, SMU, University of Miami, Northeastern, and Babson.

Melendi has advice for underclassmen who are going to start their applications soon. “Start your applications early and try to get everything done as early as possible, so that you can organize your thoughts and you’re not rushing it at the last minute,” he said. “Deciding where to go is a huge decision.”