By Babiha Kaur, Digital Editor
Although quarter 3 is getting more rigorous for most, it’s safe to say that some things have become more laid back, especially for the seniors. After finishing the dreaded, tedious college application process, many seniors have received decisions from colleges and are currently deciding where to attend school.
Lots of River Hill seniors began applying to colleges this past summer, and most college applications were due by the end of 2022. For many, the process felt monotonous and demanding because it took so long. Where to attend college is an important decision, as it can determine one’s entire future—from job to family to career.
Senior Jennifer Gao talks about her application process and how she approached it. “I began the application process with research, which started during the summer last year. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into the process. You first need to start asking teachers for recommendation letters; I think that’s typically the first step for a lot of people. Then, throughout the summer, that’s when you spend the most time either going on college tours and trying to gauge an idea of each school, trying to determine which ones suit your personality, your needs, and everything the most. Then that’s where you narrow down your list of 10-12 [colleges].” Jennifer believes that it’s important to start the process early on so that there’s enough time to gather all the necessary information.
Assembling information about the school itself is an important part of the application process because it helps students get an idea of whether or not they’d like to attend the college. Jennifer is planning to attend Tufts University in Massachusetts. She comments, “I specifically chose Tufts because it offers a very special major called engineering psychology. I was always looking for something where I could apply my love for psychology but also give it a more applicable basis, so I just thought that major was perfect, and that’s the main reason why I applied for that school.”
There are many factors that influenced other students on where to apply to college. Charlotte Krausz is a junior graduating a year early. After receiving an unconditional offer from the University of Saint Andrews, a prestigious school in Scotland, she feels much more relaxed now that the process of applying is over. When deciding on where to apply, Charlotte considered the school’s prestige, size, and what topics the college was good in. Charlotte is looking forward to taking international relations classes and feels much more relaxed now that the process is over. She comments, “It feels good, but it’s also this realization that college doesn’t matter as much as I thought it did. Now, I have to work. College is work, and there’s work beyond that, and it really doesn’t matter where you go to college, but what you do when you’re there, and, more importantly, what you do after.”
Now that college applications are over with, many seniors are much less stressed than they were before. Senior Jenny Liu comments, “I think now I can live in the moment more rather than worrying about my future.” Similarly, senior Mona Zand has already received decisions from most of the schools that she applied to. When asked about how she approached the college application process, Mona shares, “Since I spaced it out, it wasn’t too stressful for me. I definitely feel less stressed right now.” Going through the process itself can be extremely worrisome, but applying to different colleges in a timely manner seems to be a good strategy.
Although the application process is over, there are still a few things that are important to consider. After receiving decisions from four of the colleges she applied to, senior Vianne Stanford realizes that her priorities have shifted. Vianne is now focusing on getting scholarships from colleges now that she is finished applying. She states, “I’m not stressed about getting in anymore. My focus has changed.”
Overall, seniors are much more calm and composed now that they don’t have to worry about college applications. Jennifer states, “In general, I feel like I’m in some sort of purgatory state because it’s like the climax of your whole high school area. It’s over, and now you’re just receiving the falling action after you’ve put in so much work and so much stress, so currently it feels like things are dying down, and I think this is the happiest I’ve ever felt in my entire high school career because really, now, I get to actually commit myself to my hobbies and have a life outside of school.”
Going to college is a major step in life in which individuals can study whatever they choose. Seniors are looking forward to pursuing their own interests now that they are able to continue school someplace entirely different than River Hill. With more than half of the school year over, seniors are getting ready to step into their futures.