Senior year of high school is a pivotal moment of time for students. Although it is traditionally known to be one of the more enjoyable years of school, juggling rigorous coursework, extracurricular activities, and final exams can make it quite difficult. However, there is one more thing students must face before graduation. That is the daunting task of filling out college applications.
Students must gather their transcripts, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and standardized test scores in order to prove to their desired school that they are qualified to attend. However, that isn’t the full story, even once these applications are completed and submitted, the anticipation that students face as they are awaiting their admission status is arguably just as difficult to face.
Now in present times, the college application process is the most simplified it’s ever been. Students at Oak Lawn Community High School will use CommonApp and Schoolinks, which work hand-in-hand to sync all of your applications on one page, essentially simplifying the process and making it less time consuming and overwhelming.
I was curious what the general opinions on these applications were around Oak Lawn Community High School and have had the opportunity to inquire with my peers.
I asked Hamzah Abdeljaber, a senior at OLCHS about his opinion. This is what he had to say, “Applying to college was really exciting but also kinda scary. First, I had to look at different schools to see which ones were good for me. Then, I had to get my transcripts, write some essays, and ask teachers for recommendation letters, which took a lot of time. Writing the essays was hard but it felt good to tell my story. I also had to study for and take the SAT, which was stressful but I’m happy that it’s over. After sending in my applications, waiting to hear back is probably the hardest part. Through this whole process, I learned a lot about myself and what I want. Even though it was tough, applying to college is a big step towards my future.”
Most students are in agreement with Abdeljaber. Mya Orozco said, “The pressure of completing these applications is something I’m happy I got through. Now all I have to do is wait, and prepare for the new school year. As of right now, I am trying to enjoy the remainder of my high school experience.”
Fellow senior Jessica Komperda said, “As a senior, the college application process is a critical part of one’s High School journey. In my personal experience I decided to apply to all my schools with early action, meaning most of my applications had to be submitted by November 1st. Due to this deadline, I had to learn to manage my time well so I could have them completed by the specific due date. A typical college application consists of questions based on personal information, academic history, activities, awards, intended majors, and essay questions. Though a single application may not take too long, when you have all your other applications alongside it, it becomes a stressful and overwhelming time. One of my hardest times during the application process was writing my Common App Personal Statement. This was one of the hardest essays I’ve ever had to write. The open ended prompt gave you an infinite number of things you could write about, but yet I couldn’t pick a topic. Eventually I was able to pick a topic to write about, and was able to submit a final draft that I was satisfied with to Common App. After November 1st, a weight was truly lifted off my shoulders. Now with all my applications submitted I no longer had to stress about essays I had to write or questions I needed to answer. Now the only thing I can do is wait till December/January to hear back from universities.”
Personally, applying to college has been a bittersweet experience. Although websites like CommonApp and Schoolinks were useful, figuring out how to navigate these sites was a difficult task in itself. I did appreciate having all of these applications in one place, however. The process was long and tedious, but the results are proving to be worth the effort. One thing’s for certain, I am happy that I am done. Now I’m taking the time to enjoy the rest of my senior year, as I eagerly await acceptance to my top schools.
