As seniors enter their last year of high school, they’re faced with the long haul of submitting college applications, completing school work and practicing their sports.
Seniors have dealt with stressful situations throughout their time in high school, such as studying for multiple tests on the same day or needing to complete a homework assignment after playing in a sporting event. Now, one more task is adding to the stress: college applications.
Whether it’s applying to in-state schools or exploring opportunities elsewhere, the admissions process can take a toll on students.
Carl Rekow is a varsity runner on the cross-country team as a senior. “My college decisions lately have been really based off running and wanting to compete at the collegiate level, so when I balance the time, it’s really just striving for the same goal,” he said.
“As I plan on going into the medical field, chances are you only get one attempt and it has to be perfect, so I feel school has done a good job in teaching me that,” Rekow continued. “However, this ‘perfect on the first try’ takes a toll. We aren’t really allowed to make mistakes without unnecessary consequences like bad scores.”
For students like Rekow participating in fall sports, college applications and schoolwork can get strenuous. Student-athletes have to attend practices and games or meets after school, which can last for at least two hours. Other students participating in extracurricular activities also find it difficult to manage their time in order to get everything done.
Students who had graduated from the class of 2022, were asked about their biggest source of stress during their senior year. 37% answered that ‘applying to college’ was the most stressful task, and 21% answered ‘managing senior workload’. The combined percentages indicated that students struggled with college applications and managing schoolwork in their senior year.
Nathan Musal, a senior, is taking a rigorous courseload this school year. “I definitely struggle to balance schoolwork, college applications, and other extracurriculars. There is no secret to balancing everything, and at some point you have to give something up,” Musal stated.
Musal advises younger students to enjoy their time in high school, but also focus on preparing for the future. “The best way for younger students to avoid having this pressure in the future is to get as much as of your college app done in the summer as you can. Even if this feels like wasting you summer, it’s worth it in the long run,” he said.
Deadlines for these applications come quickly with ED (Early Decision) and EA (Early Action) applications due November 1, 2023, for most colleges. RD (Regular Decision) applications are due in January or February, depending on the college.
Applying ED means if the student is accepted, they must cancel all other applications and commit to the college. On the other hand, EA applications are non-binding, meaning students receive an earlier response, but don’t have to commit to the college until May 1st.
For students applying to in-state colleges, the RAI score (Regent Admission Index) is the biggest factor for admission. The RAI score is based on three things: GPA (Grade Point Average), ACT score and total high school credits. Students will need an RAI score of at least 245 and will need to take the minimum number of required core courses to gain automatic admission into state schools in Iowa.
For those applying out-of-state, the admissions process will require more tasks. Students have to write their personal statement—a maximum 650-word essay responding to one of seven prompts—along with supplemental essays. Additionally, students are required to submit letters of recommendation from teachers and counselors. In order to manage all of the required tasks, students often use the Common App website.
Common App is a tool aiming to help seniors organize their college applications into one dashboard. Seniors can find colleges they are interested in and add them to their dashboard. After that, students can write their essays, fill out the necessary information and lastly, submit their applications.
Senior Celia Brown has used Common App to organize her applications more efficiently. “Common app has made it easier for me to ask my teachers for recommendation letters and manage all of my applications in one spot. It also provides me with a checklist for what steps I have completed and which ones I still need to finish, which helps me stay on top of all the deadlines,” Brown stated.
While the urge to kick back and relax during senior year lingers upon students, it’s important to stay persistent through this stressful time. The letter of admission from a college will prove that the hard work and perseverance was worth it in the end.
Jamilyn Puryk • Sep 21, 2023 at 11:23 pm
I’m hoping the school year will get less stressful for us seniors as it progresses. I couldn’t even imagine playing a varsity sport and applying to several competitive colleges all at the same time. Not to mention that many seniors are taking dual-enrollment or AP classes on top of their sports and applications. . .