Now that fall is coming to a close, seniors at Benilde-St. Margaret’s are dedicating more time to college applications. The class of 2023 has witnessed previous upperclassmen take on demanding college applications multiple times, and now, they wait for responses from a handful of colleges while continuing to work on others.

Being over two months into the new school year, seniors are facing new responsibilities. Some are starting to feel pressure as college applications clash with schoolwork but are still happy with their senior year. “It’s definitely a stressful fall for everyone because it’s everyone’s regular schedule on top of college applications. But I feel like even with that being said, I’ve still been really enjoying it so far,” senior Francesca Lichtenberger said.

Sometimes applying to colleges can feel like an extra class handing out homework. College application assignments can become a concern for students as they struggle to achieve balance with schoolwork. “My priority is on applying more than it is on my school work. I am super eager to apply so I put that in front of my school work at times,” senior Annie Juckniess said.

Many students are still filling out the common app section of their applications. The section that consumes students time is the 650 word essay. “[My essay] required a lot more attention to detail than expected. Not just revising, but actually completely re-writing the entire essay happened multiple times to get it to a place where I was confident to submit it,” Juckniess said.

Seniors have increased electives available to them because wellness classes are no longer required. Many are taking advantage of classes only offered in their senior year that will give them further insight into what they want to study in college. “I really like Forensic Science. I was already planning on going into a forensic field but [the class] has deepened my love for forensics,” senior Eleanor Hutcheson said.

Colleges also offer more freedom to choose your own classes. There are less general education requirements which allows students decide to for themselves what they want to learn. “I’m looking forward to like being able to choose my own path for my learning, because I know at [BSM] we have to choose [between] specific things. In college, your freshman year, you do some required courses, but then you’re on your own path,” Hutcheson said.

Being a senior is a double edged sword: with more freedom comes more difficult academics and responsibilities. “It has been super fun to be the oldest in the school, but [senior year] is harder than people said it was going to be. I am looking forward to the rest of the year, but I am definitely ready for college,” Juckniess said.