Confessions from the College Front Line

There I was Monday morning in the car watching the clock tick from 7:54 to 7:55. I was late. I hate being late, and I usually never am. But as I rushed to put my backpack down, I overheard a couple of my friends talking about how they were doing Girl Scouts so it would look good on their college applications.  Then later during lunch after I rushed back from the Commons and put my plate down on th...

It’s the season of reflection and hope towards the future, and I’m not just talking about the holidays. For seniors, it’s another kind of reflection and hope—one associated with college applications. Senior year is the only year that really begins with the end in mind, inching ever closer to the future. It’s not uncommon for valedictorian speakers to talk about how graduation marks the beginn...

Usually on my way to classes, my friends and I engage in the usual conversation: ranting about the newest teacher drama or stressing over homework and projects. But, the later I go into my high school career, the less our conversations become about day-to-day experiences, and the more they shift to the big C word: college. “I just registered for the SAT,” one friend says. “Shoot,” I think, mak...

Like everyone else, I am so sick of talking about the Coronavirus. This pandemic truly feels endless. And being a senior in high school on top of everything makes the future feel all the more insecure. The college process is a wild roller coaster with twists and turns, but a global pandemic was a drop I never could’ve expected.  While in quarantine I received the bulk of my admissions outcome...

People never tell you how truly long you have to wait during the college process. The whole thing is mostly just waiting to see if you’re in, rejected, get money, etc. I finished all of my 13 applications by the second week of January including writing supplements, interviews, and many extra scholarship or honor college applications. Immediately after submitting that final seemingly monumental appl...

The college process does not become truly real until the first rejection. It isn’t until you read “After careful review of your application, the admission committee is unable to offer you admission at this time...” and walk into the college counseling office and get a big hug from Ms. O’Grady that you realize the weight of the college process. Submitting the application pales in comparison to ...

Phase 2. The lists have been created, the deadlines are looming, many of them have passed, and every senior is on the brink of a mental breakdown. Mrs. Robinson is running on no sleep, Mrs. O’Grady is sick of receiving lazily written essays, Mrs. O'Reilly is madly working to send recommendation letters and transcripts to hundreds of colleges, and Ms. Singh is desperately making meeting schedule ...

Senior year is here. The train is on the track. Every senior I know is running as fast as they can to catch the train and hop on before the college applications depart the station. Resumes, lists, essays, visits, as well as the normal school workload—seniors definitely feel the heat from the college process flames. Last year, I thought I was prepared to head into the process because I had watched my ...