As the first semester comes to a close, many seniors face extra responsibilities in preparation for college. As application deadlines approach, some juggle with the question of where to attend and what to major in.
“Many seniors tend to procrastinate with turning in their applications,” Jon Endicott, vice principal, said. “It’s like turning in an essay; the more you wait to write it, the less time you have to revise it. If you wait a long time to fill out applications, you won’t have much time to let other people help you revise it.”
Some apply to a vast array of institutions, to ensure acceptance and leave options open. Others express interest in one specific college, and therefore apply only to that university. Ashley Chavez, ’08, chose to apply to Fresno Pacific University (FPU) after attending the preview overnighter.
“I really want to go Fresno Pacific and get a scholarship in swimming,” Chavez said. “It is the only college I applied to because that?s where I want to go. I went to the FPU preview and the people there helped me with my applications. It was a little overwhelming because I am realizing that in a few months I’ll be living in the dorms.”
Location and price often play a dominant role in college decisions. Senior Micaelah Aleman plans to attend California State University Fresno (CSUF) due to the locality.
“I want to go to Fresno State because it’s close to home and to save money for another college later on,” Aleman said. “I didn’t get very stressed out when I was filling out my applications. I did mine online and it was simple. You just go to the website of the school that you are applying to, click on admissions, and answer the questions presented.”
While some prefer to stay close to home, others insist on venturing outside their comfort zones to explore the college life.
“I am planning on attending the Air Force Academy,” Bill Cowin, ’08, said. “I want to go there because I want to be a pilot and a civil engineer and their program is flawless. Applying right now is stressful, long, and overwhelming. I even missed 3 days of school to fill them out.”
Although many prefer to complete applications earlier in the year, others procrastinate due to schedule conflicts and involvement in school and other activities.
“I plan on attending Whitworth College,” Anthony Wilson, ’08, said. “They have a good communications program, and I want to be a sports newscaster, so it’s perfect. I haven’t filled out the applications, but I’m not too worried about it yet. The reason I really haven’t stressed the applications is because usually when I start something, I don’t finish it. I’m afraid that if I start my applications, they just won’t get done anyway.”
The completion and submission of applications during the early action periods provides benefits such as earlier acceptance and priority registration. However, some rush the process, resulting in mistakes and misunderstandings.
“At the end of the applications, there are 2 prompts,” Coleton Hutchins, ’08, said. “I really wanted to finish, so I skimmed through the directions. I read that the prompts should be 1,000 words each. After writing each prompt, I realized that the real directions were that both prompts should be 1,000 words total. I ended up writing twice as much.”
“I would recommend reading application instructions the first time through,” Hutchins said. “It saves a lot of time. I would encourage starting applications at least a month before they’re due, so you can set your calendar up as to when you want to work on applications. It seems like we’re always told to finish applications early, but I never really took it seriously and then all of a sudden I had to rush. I guess it’s just something all seniors go through.”
