Spring of junior year is often referred to as the most stressful and strenuous time for high school students. Madison’s seniors would most definitely refute this commonly thought theory. It is that time of year again, and college applications are nearly due. While walking through the bustling hallways it’s hard to avoid hearing “common app” or “college,” “University of…” Seniors are anxious to send in their applications, mail in their transcripts, send in their SAT scores, get back their ACT scores, and have their common app finished.
Emails bombard seniors’ mailboxes over news of the dreaded common app. Most schools accept this application, the common app essay being the most important part. Students can often see MHS’s English teachers conferencing with a different senior daily, going over this feared piece of writing.
Seniors are finding themselves in the most stressful states of their lives. Not only are they trying to keep up with their current year courses, but are also picking, choosing, and applying to where they will spend the next four years of their lives. Seniors are about to make the biggest decisions of their lives, arguing that fall of senior year is by far the biggest stressor in a student’s high school career.
The Dodger interviewed various seniors, asking them questions about their status and their goals.
MDO: Have you applied to college yet?
Chloe Schorr: After submitting my first application to my top school I felt incredibly relieved, however I still have a lot of schools to apply to. The thing I am dreading most is waiting for an answer.
Jim Nagle: Yes. I feel confident with my decisions and just want an acceptance letter.
Wilmo Mottola: No, but my guidance counselor is being really supportive with the whole process, helping me step by step. The stress that everyone is feeling really hasn’t sunk in for me just yet.
MDO: What do you hate most about the college process?
Jim Nagle: The common app. It is full of glitches, and is just falling apart. I just want the whole thing to be done with.
Justin Reinhardt: The essay!! The common app essay prompts are so vague I don’t even know where to begin. I have everything done except for the essay, and it is always in the back of my mind. I just need to perfect it and get it done with. I hate that there is so much stress on one 650-word essay and so much depends on it, I just want it all over.
Maddison 96 • Oct 30, 2013 at 4:13 pm
This whole process sounds very stressful but in the end it’s worth it. The essays sound like the worst part of applying to college.
Cara Smith 96 • Oct 29, 2013 at 9:40 pm
The spring of junior year and fall of senior year is the most stressful time in a high school students career. They are trying to find out what colleges they want to apply to, write essays, and keep up with their current school work. College is a very important decision that impacts students later in life, so they take applications very seriously.
Austin H. p2. • Oct 29, 2013 at 5:21 pm
i thought that this article was interesting. even though i am only a freshman where ever i go i can hear people talking about where they would like to do or complaining about the amount of work that they have to do just for colleges.