The college application process causes many seniors to become stressed during their first semester, with essays to write, recommendation letters to ask for, and financial aid forms to fill out.

Students push themselves by taking hard classes, participating in many extracurriculars, and retaking standardized tests to be competitive for admission to their schools of choice. At PV especially, there is an air of competition and stress among students. “You never know if you have what the school wants,” said senior Sydney Frazer.

Many students believe that their entire future is on the line when applying to college, and they feel a lot of pressure to get into the best school. “I grew up bombarded with– and only with– the names of prestigious schools like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford,” said senior Emily Suen. While school counselors say that applying to five or seven schools is plenty, some students apply to 10 or even more schools.

There are students, however, who have already applied and been accepted to a college and no longer have applications and decisions looming over their heads. “At [Northwestern College] I will be majoring in Nursing without a doubt. I’ve always been interested in the medical field and helping others is a huge passion for me!” stated senior Reagan Putnam.

With seniors feeling the pressure of applications at the start of the school year, many wish they had more help with the process. “I feel that it is important to stress to the junior class to start their applications early– preferably over the summer,” said Suen. Time can become an issue with applications since many high school students consider graduation to be so far away when really it’s just around the corner.

Students can reduce some of their stress by knowing that most of the time, it is the student that determines his or her success, not which school they went to. “You want to be accepted into a school that likes you for who you really are,” said Frazer.