Going into senior year, the class of 2026 is preparing for their future in many ways. Many people have already committed, some have taken advantage of their summer and done internships and others are just beginning the application process.
The competition and the rising rate of early decision has left many students pressured. According to Common App, only 13% of applicants submitted at least one early decision application in 2022–23, compared with 11% in 2014–15. 11% may seem like a small percentage, however this is a significant change and it reflects this growing urgency to make decisions early in order to secure a spot.
For student athletes, this process begins even earlier as the attention of college athletics is something that many need to keep in mind throughout their high school career. Senior Isabelle Kremer, who has already committed to Drake, states, “I was able to start my recruitment process as a whole on June 15, going into my junior year of high school. I talked to so many different schools in different areas with different goals in mind, but nothing had felt right for me.”
Weighing out options as a high school student is not the easiest feat. While it is important to think of the environment as a whole, there is usually something that attracts applicants to a particular school. “I have chatted with the Drake coaches before, but it wasn’t until one of my friends committed to Drake that I decided to go check it out seriously. I went to their camp with the other commits my age, and we were with all of the players as well and I loved it” says Kremer.
Already having a connection in college is a huge bonus, but that feeling that you get when you know that you made the right decision is even better. “It was a feeling that I hadn’t had with any other programs and places at that point, it was close to home, their conference was good and I loved the culture of the Drake volleyball program Committing there was such a relief for me knowing that I had finally found my place with all the right things” Kremer adds.
Committing early can definitely bring this sense of relief for athletes, but for non-athletes, the journey continues. This past weekend, on Sept. 6, concluded another administration of the ACT here at PV with many students retaking the exam.
Senior Abby Kunkel who has taken the ACT three times said,“It is very important for my future college because I haven’t decided where I want to go yet, so I want to have as high a score as possible in order to have more options.”
ACT scores play a huge part in determining admission chances and scholarship opportunities.This makes it a huge deal for students and is brought up as a big topic in classes such as college career readiness (CCR).
In addition, seniors are also required to take CCR in the first and fourth quarter of senior year. This is to prepare them for the real world using the five sloganed steps “prepare, decide, apply, finance and go” to guide students on the steps into the future.
With all this in mind, one thing is for certain: although the competition and bar may be high there is no true timeline. When it comes to committing early, retaking tests such as the ACT or taking away important skills from CCR, everyone’s pathways are different and in the end everything will settle for the class of 2026 and onwards.
