While senior year is full of fun events and activities, the first semester is often very stressful for some seniors while they are applying to college.
A lot of work needs to be done before the applications are submitted. Seniors who plan on applying to college need to write essays, acquire transcripts, decide on majors, and apply for scholarships. “It’s kinda like having another class worth of homework. I definitely had to do a lot more than I thought I would for [the applications],” senior Leo Dalson said.
Another thing that adds stress to seniors is choosing a major. For certain applications, students are required to apply for specific majors instead of applying to the university as a whole. “I think it has been difficult to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life because I think that’s a really hard decision to make at such a young age,” senior Erica Lee said.
I think it has been difficult to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life because I think that’s a really hard decision to make at such a young age.
— Erica Lee
Additionally, students often have to apply separately for various scholarships. Scholarship applications can require several things including additional essays or recommendation letters. Although, for some students, it’s an incentive to apply considering the average cost of college in the United States is $36,436 per year including books, supplies, and living expenses. “I look for a school where I can get scholarship opportunities,” Lee said.
Finally, location can determine interest in a university. Students who plan on traveling out of state for college usually want to visit the school before they apply. College visits sometimes require missing school, leaving students with work to catch up on when they return. Being behind on homework and having to make up tests puts an additional layer of stress on top of students who are already dealing with the stress of applications. While it could set students back momentarily, touring colleges is certainly not a vice. Colleges out of state often have different weather, culture, and diversity than in-state colleges. The best way to determine whether or not a student likes or dislikes these changes is by visiting campus in person. Students often don’t know what they are looking for in a campus location. “It was really hard at first because I didn’t know where I wanted to go,” said Dalsin.
While stress levels for current seniors applying to colleges are currently high, seniors expressed that they look forward to being done with applications and are excited to see where they end up attending university next year.