While the beginning of the school year may seem relaxed for most, it is quite the opposite for the senior class. With their high school careers coming to an end, students have to begin planning their futures, and the first step in doing so is the daunting task of applying for colleges. 

Many students at Spring Lake High School take their education seriously by selecting rigorous courses and filling their resumes with a variety of impressive activities in hopes that someday it will be enough to get them into the college of their dreams. But how much is enough when it comes to getting into the top schools?

Owen Druzgal applied to a variety of schools across the country, including University of Michigan, University of Tennessee, and UT Austin in order to study business. He did many things in order to make these schools a reality, stating, “I took a lot of classes that I knew would get me college credit so that I would be prepared.” Jaxson Berg, who, similar to Druzgal, applied to many colleges across America–University of Michigan, University of Miami, Florida State University, and many others to pursue medicine–also put in an exceptional amount of work to make his college application stand out, stating, “I volunteer a lot to help with my application, and throughout the summer I sought academic opportunities to not get a summer lull.” 

While taking the time to fill out the never-ending questions on the notorious Common Application is enough of a task in itself, the essay writing process has evoked troubles from almost every student. When asked if he would have done anything differently when it came to applying, Berg stated, “I think I would have written my supplemental essays sooner so I could have had time to edit them more.” Many students are overwhelmed when they are faced with the task of writing one essay to sum up who they are, but the best thing they can do is use it as an opportunity to showcase their creativity and make themselves stand out. 

Although applying for college may seem intimidating for those that will have to do it in years to come, there are many people available to help. Guidance counselors and teachers are always ready to assist students, but some of the best advice can come from those who have experienced it recently. Druzgal advises, “Get everything you want on your application done before you start your senior year. You don’t want to be thinking about retaking the SAT or figuring out who to ask for teacher evaluations once the school year starts.” Being prepared and taking initiative is one of the best ways to make the alarming work more approachable, but overall, it is important to not stress too much about it. Berg suggests, “You shouldn’t put such a heavy weight on college applications and take them little by little.” When the time comes around for next year’s seniors, the best thing to do is to stay calm and take one day at a time.