College Application Craze
With the start of the school year comes the beginning of the strenuous college application process for seniors.
More stories from Allison Smith
Senior Sean Bering receiving his first and last acceptance letter. Bering applied to University of Iowa at the beginning of the school year through their online application. “I love that I am now done with the application process because for the rest of senior year, I don’t have to worry about it,” Bering said.
College applications can be stressful; it is hard to know exactly where to start with so many steps going into the process. Making the application process as easy as possible is important to reduce the added stress of senior year.
Step one of the application process is simply choosing which schools to apply to. Narrowing down schools based on their size, location and what majors they offer is a good place to start. The best way to get a feel for a school is going on a campus tour. Senior Sean Bering fell in love with University of Iowa the second he stepped on the campus.
“I couldn’t stop smiling at everything that Iowa had to offer,” Bering said. “Altogether, it just felt like home.”
After choosing a few schools to apply to, the actual application process begins. The Common Application is a popular option amongst many students because of its simple format. The Common App is a way for students to apply to multiple colleges at once, which allows for only one essay to be written. While this seems like a great option, it does not work out for everyone; not all colleges use the Common App. Before applying, check to see what schools offer the Common App and which do not.
One of the most stressful steps to applying is the essay portion. Essay prompts change every year, but they are usually a personal statement about an important time or aspect of the applicant’s life in 500 words or less. Admissions Director at Northwestern University Jamie White thinks the best thing an applicant can do is be themselves.
“Your essay should sound like you– it should be a reflection of your voice and personality,” White said. “It is your chance to give the Admissions Committee an insight into who you are as a person.”
Applying for college can be a long, stressful process. Setting enough time aside to make sure everything gets done correctly is important.
The application process is never ending; there is always a next step,” said senior Amy Reiser, who started applying to schools this summer. “For me, the process is going slower than I hoped, but I am getting through it all, slowly but surely.”
While the application process seems like a hassle, receiving acceptance letters makes the time and effort worth it.