Junior year, the pressure is on. Oftentimes, it’s considered the most important year in high school. Alongside balancing extracurricular activities, many students begin to prepare for their college essays. Whether it’s college tours, testing, or even writing their essays, they are preparing and making big decisions about their future.
Preparing for college can involve much more than just filling out applications. From building their resumes with extracurricular activities to studying for the SAT or ACT, many students spend significant amounts of time outside of school to achieve their goals. For students like junior Alex Conti, he has taken several steps outside of school hours in order to prepare for college admissions.
“I’ve taken lots of prep courses, met with an essay writer, and career counselors to try and figure out the best college for me.”
Taking time outside of school can be a significant help to students, allowing them to feel more prepared for applications.
While these efforts can be very helpful to the process, they can also add lots of stress. For many students, even uncertainty about their future is one of the most challenging parts.
“The anticipation of wanting to know if I could get into these schools is really stressful,” says Conti. Despite the pressure, many students find it useful to find a work-life balance. There are numerous ways to find the balance, such as setting aside a designated time for work, or even reducing your schedule. Finding that balance can help ease some of the stress that comes with the application process.
While some students worry about being accepted into their dream schools, others find the essays to be one of the most stressful parts. Junior Ben Wine shares how one of the biggest challenges he finds is figuring out an essay topic.
“I’ve started brainstorming what I’m going to do for my essay, but it’s been one of the more difficult parts.”
College essays often require students to look deeply into their accomplishments, experiences, or even personal growth. Finding a meaningful topic that accurately represents the student can be a difficult, stressful assignment for many applicants.
College is not only about academics; it also provides opportunities for athletics. If you are interested in continuing your sport at the collegiate level, dedicating yourself to training and competition may earn you a spot on a college team.
Junior, Mia Mracna, has just committed to Columbia University for swimming. For Mracna, the process was long and ambitious, including many college visits and meeting different coaches, before she ultimately decided where she wanted to commit.
Not only was a good swim team a consideration for her, but also the academics. The variety of academics each college offers was a heavy influence in the decision.
Just like many other students, Mracna has struggled with the schedule balance. Having to tackle swimming on top of college-related activities and school academics was a challenge Mracna had to take on.
“I’ve had to miss a lot of school and practices. It’s been hard to find time to make up all those things and still stay on top of everything.” Mracna shares. Finding her own way to balance everything has been a key skill in combating the challenging recruitment process.
Another key part of the college admission process is college tours. Giving an in-person perspective, college campus tours allow students to receive information about academic programs, campus life, and the atmosphere of the school. Depending on whether the choice is shaped by being close to home or being more focused on academics, the type of college students interested in varies.
For some students, college tours take place over their junior year. Junior Addyson Skipton plans to take the majority of her college tours in the summer of her senior year. Skipton and her family plan to tour several options she is interested in, such as Indiana State University, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and the University of Arkansas.
College tours can leave a lasting impression on students as they begin to narrow down their choices. For Skipton, one visit helped her shape her college aspirations,
“I visited Notre Dame freshman year and fell in love with the campus. Right now, it’s my dream school.” Skipton said
As for Mracna, she had certain preferences that shaped her college tours.
“Being in a big city was really important to me. I also wanted to go to a college that was good for the career I want to go into, which is investment banking.” Mracna explained.
Ultimately, the choice of where you want to go to college depends on a lot of different factors. Whether it’s proximity, academics, campus life, or even the fact that college might not be the choice for you, there are a vast number of opportunities.
With the immense amount of work put in and outside of school, students work hard to perfect their college applications. In the end, it’s important to remember everyone’s future is on a different path, and you will end up exactly where you need to be. If applications get hard and stress is high, don’t forget to take a moment to remember that everything will be okay.
