Peyton Zaletsky, Editor-in-Chief
As lingering summer breezes shift into autumn chills and color-changing leaves, students’ schedules quickly become compiled with hours of homework, demanding extracurriculars, and eventful social activities, not to mention six hour school days. However, the senior class of 2023 has one more grueling task to add to their plate: college applications.
With the large amount of work that the college process requires, seniors like Ava Zinczenko often find themselves struggling to balance applications with their homework and extracurricular activities, leading to an increase in stress levels. “Finding time between school, rehearsal and dance is really difficult, so I do find that I’m often completing assignments and college-related applications late at night,” Ava said.
To combat this stress, many students find it useful to create schedules in order to keep track of application deadlines or homework due dates. Senior Charlie Lampen has found that making a timeline has been very beneficial in reducing his college stress. “I have done a lot of preparation and I’ve spaced my college application workload out so I am in a pretty good position,” he said. “Planning everything out on a timeline to keep track of what colleges you want to go to and when to submit applications helps to space work out so you don’t get overwhelmed.”
Senior Gilbert Clay finds that the schedule-making strategy as well as getting advice from teachers has helped to increase his productivity. “I procrastinate a ton, but my teachers have helped me set up my planner so that I can set deadlines for myself,” he said. “I know where I am in the process and I know that I am on track to get everything submitted by the deadline.”
Some seniors have already committed to a college for sports. For senior Polly Parsons, who committed to play field hockey at Cornell University, stress is still involved in the application process. “While it may seem like I have it all figured out, I’m still in the same boat as everyone else to prepare my portfolio, meet deadlines, and wait for an acceptance letter,” Polly said. “I also need to continue excelling in my classes and maintain a high GPA throughout my senior year to show Cornell that I’m ready for a rigorous course schedule.”
While she does have the pressure of keeping her grades up, Polly is grateful for the fact that she was recruited and therefore does not have the added stress of researching and applying to various colleges. “To know where I would be applying ED to college when I was only halfway through highschool was very surreal but also felt like a pressure had been lifted off my shoulders,” she said. “Now, seeing my friends go through the college process has made me appreciate my ability to be committed to school by playing a sport.”
Other seniors are even contemplating different college options, including taking a gap year. Senior Tahela Denu is considering the gap year approach as she believes this would better her mental health and allow her to become more prepared for college life. “I feel like I am being rushed,” Tahela said. “I don’t feel comfortable going into college super young since my birthday is very late, and I think taking a gap year could help me prepare for college both economically and mentally.”
While seniors are working tirelessly to complete their applications, juniors like Alex McManus are already beginning to think about the workload and decision making they will be hit with next fall, as well as their future career goals. “I have a general idea of what I want my major to be and what I want to do in the future, so I am doing a few extracurriculars to get me as prepared as possible,” said Alex. “However, I am trying to leave my options open in terms of the actual school itself.”
Alex has found that seeing her senior friends work on their college applications this year has made the process seem less daunting but also more forthcoming then it had seemed before. “It is pretty exciting to watch my friends go through the process and to watch many people consider where they are going to go for school because it does make it seem a lot less stressful and takes the pressure off a bit,” she said. “College always felt like something so distant, and now since there are people I know who are doing this, it makes it seem a lot more attainable and imminent than it did when I was an underclassman.”
Though college application season is certainly a stressful time for seniors, it’s important that they try to embrace the college process and enjoy senior year as best as they can because at the end of the day, everyone will end up at the school that’s best for them. “The first semester of senior year has us all grinding,” Polly said. “Although I’m not applying to nearly as many colleges as others are, I know all of our hard work will be worth it in the end when we feel the rush of submitting applications, wait for letters to come back, and get into our future schools.”
