As students gear up for another school year in August, a new season of college applications invites seniors to compile their high school experiences into one packaged story to hopefully receive acceptances for the next fall. From Sept. 3 through 5, College Week allows students to connect with visiting colleges on campus as well as garner information about post-graduation pathways. During this pivotal time for seniors, finding ways to access college information and resources as well as balancing academics along the way are the cornerstones of a successful application process.
When seniors first embark on their college journey, they have to consider several crucial factors to discover colleges that are the right fit for them.
“I think having a good plan in place is good. A foundation of [what you] want to at least major in [in] this area could help narrow down a lot of stuff,” Algebra teacher Michael Garcia said. “[Ask yourself] ‘what are things I value?’ I valued being close to home. The University of North Texas was 30 minutes from my house. I stayed in Denton … [There] was still an aspect of [being] able to visit my parents on the weekends.”
As seniors dive deeper into completing their college applications, they are juggling both their academic commitments and college essays as a new challenge in their high school careers.
“[The college application] was a lot, especially because I was taking six APs at once and having to do college apps on top of that,” 24-25 Emerson valedictorian and freshman at University of Texas at Austin Vyom Manot said. “What I started doing is really splitting up my time. So, I started doing this thing where almost every day me and [my] three to five other friends would always go to the library together.”
During this season, it is of utmost importance for seniors to actively seek out resources in addition to what they are offered by counselors.
“‘What should I really focus on?’ So, knowing someone is definitely a good resource because they can help you with, especially the ‘why us’ essays [and] ‘why this major’ [essays]. They can really give you insider information about what the school has,” Manot said. “Another good resource that I really looked up on is called College Essay Guy. There’s a blog for almost every college, and it goes into every type of question for each specific school. That was really useful in helping me write, especially … about what values and characteristics I really want to show to the admissions officers.”
Amongst the required components of college admissions, students tend to have more difficulties drafting their personal statement essay than anything else. Manot reflects on his experience during his college application season last year.
“One thing about writing your personal essay is you have to really hone in on some values that you’re always true to,” Manot said. “So … that took a lot of personal self-reflection, and it definitely wasn’t an easy process even when writing it, but it … was helpful to understand once I did. It helped me understand who I am as a person.”
Although students are the ones in charge of their essays, they can oftentimes find the most important resource just around the hallway corner: teachers.
“Definitely ask for help, right? It doesn’t hurt to have an English teacher or a teacher you trust look over your essay because you can get so bogged down in the theme of what your essay should be,” Garcia said. “Because the whole goal of the essay, or the application, is for the admissions committee to see who you are as a person. And teachers know you as a person a lot more than you think you know.”
As students get to reflect during their essay writing process, it is easy to cling to perfection and overlook the whole point of the college application, which is learning how to express their authentic selves.
“What colleges really want to see is you genuinely doing what you enjoy,” Manot said. “A lot of times, people … get caught up in wanting the best, most amazing extracurriculars [and] officer positions. But you know, in the end, that’s not going to make you different from any of the other applicants. It’s just being true to yourself and being unique.”
For those seniors who are unsure of next steps in their college application journey, Garcia provides advice that can serve them well in the coming days.
“Start as soon as you can. You get bogged down with school and then [you’re balancing it] with the college apps as well,” Garcia said. “But then, another aspect which is so valuable: enjoy the last year of high school. Yes, put in your effort, put in your time … try to knock out those applications. They take more time than you think they do. They really do.”
Keeping track of college applications, showing dedication to academics and remembering to create memorable moments for the last year of high school all at once is no small feat. However, every year, graduated seniors have shown newly risen seniors that they are indeed capable of making it through.
“You [have to] know that you’re not alone. There are a lot of people [who] are struggling [alongside] you,” Manot said. “You’ll get through it. Everyone does, and it’s really important to lean on each other for help.”
Check out essential College Week information below! You can find all of the upcoming university visits on campus, events planned this week and helpful application resources for seniors.
