The first two quarters of the year were made difficult for many seniors because of the stressful college application process. Students struggled to manage school work, extracurriculars, and plan for their future.
Seniors found that the hardest part about this process was managing time while having to juggle so many different aspects of their lives. “It’s really hard to figure out where your priorities lie and how you want to attack this…even with help from the College and Career Center it can get very overwhelming at times,” said senior Charlotte Eirich.
Senior Grace Gafni can also attest to how difficult it is to manage how busy she is while trying to apply for college. She said that the most difficult part of all this was “finding time in my week to dedicate to it because I have practice everyday and games.”
The difficulties of applying were also exacerbated when there was not enough help from Campo itself. For example, many of the applications were challenging to figure out, especially for first time users. Eirich said she thinks “Naviance is a little tricky at times and [she] struggled a lot with requesting [her] transcripts.”
As well as struggling with Naviance, some students wished for more support on the actual application. Senior Marcus Han said, “I wish Campo gave more support on writing descriptions for your activities. I think that if there was a seminar that would be really helpful.”
Senior Rachel Andre, “I wish they gave more support on what to do before you apply to college, like extracurricular activities, projects you can start, or things you can do to show early interest in schools.”
Many students said that the most difficult part of college applications were the countless essays. Senior Max Marino said, “The hardest part was the personal statement because it is the main thing you are writing for the colleges.”
Han agreed and added that the hardest part of the process was “Definitely writing the essays. Reading them back and revising has been super grueling because it takes a long time.” Gafni agrees with this and said that she wished the school gave seniors more support when it comes to “coming up with ideas and knowing what the college that you’re applying to is looking for in an essay,”
Andre struggled with finding the time to complete all of the necessary steps. Andre said, “The hardest part for me has definitely been balancing my schoolwork and writing my supplemental essays. It has been a lot to try to work on my time management and make sure I get everything done, but also keeping my grades up. There are a lot of different things to juggle.”
Although students found several aspects of the application process difficult, they also expressed where there was adequate support and encouragement. Han said that the part of applications where Campo gave the most support was “Definitely reviewing the details of my common application, I think Ms. Batcheller did really well with that.”
Andre added, “Campo offers a lot of support for the essays. I know that Mr Petrocco helps kids at lunch or during 7th period. The College and Career Center is also always open. One time I had a question about something on my common application and I popped into the College and Career Center and they helped me right away.”
As well as resources at Campo, many seniors found support from their family and friends. Andre said, “I have a college counselor and she helps me a lot and I also sometimes bounce ideas off my parents and my friends. It has been super fun to learn about the different programs at different schools and see which school suits me the best.”
Even with all these resources and forms of support, students were still highly overworked and stressed. “I’m really trying but sleep is being sacrificed,” said Eirich.
Han recalled how he completed his college applications, “I started college applications at the start of the summer. Oftentimes I start writing my essays late at night but I try to block out a square of time for it. If I have 7th period off or academy, I will try to block off time to work.”
Andre explained how she stayed motivated during the process, “I have to really discipline myself and when I get home I make sure to get right to my work. It has been really hard to balance it and I am still working it out. It definitely helps to put on some headphones, listen to music, and just crank it out. I think it is really helpful to think of getting into the schools as motivation.”
For many students, the college application process facilitated stress and a feeling of being overwhelmed.
Han said, “I think it is important to remember that you are not defined by your outcome. I think that people can put a lot of emphasis on this process and how well you do, but you aren’t defined by a number or a name.” Marino agreed and said, “Just to stay true to yourself, take breaks, and not get too drowned in it because it is a tedious project.”
Andre said, “I think it is important to remember that you are going to end up in the place that is best suited for you. You will be successful at any college and the college you go to doesn’t define who you are as a person or who you are as a student. Everybody has their strengths and gravitates towards one subject over another. I think you are going to find your people at the school and you will find resources wherever you go.”
