'Tis the Season for College Applications

By Esther Kardos
Reporter
 
Temperatures are dropping, Uggs are again socially acceptable, and getting out of bed is harder than ever before – or, in the words of Game of Thrones, winter is coming. But while some of us are taking this time to hang holiday lights and indulge in minty Starbucks drinks, a quarter of our school is tossing and turning over the dreaded college applications.

The U.S. college admissions process is a difficult one in many ways. For one, parents often begin worrying about paying for a child’s college education within weeks after their bundle of joy is brought into this world. Then there is waiting for acceptance into a university. To accomplish this feat, seniors have to pay to send in packets of paperwork before being considered for a position. If they’re not accepted to one of their colleges, there are no refunds or pats on the back, just a bitter letter of rejection.

And a student may not be able to avoid the stress of this process by studying hard and being the best person she can be. A system that many think is based solely on intelligence and potential has morphed itself into an obsession over how much money and prestige a family can offer that college. A high grade point average, phenomenal test grades, hundreds of community service hours, and a myriad of extracurricular activities may still leave a person without an acceptance letter from a prestigious school.

As one can imagine, the stiff competition and pressure put on college applications has left seniors in a state of stress and with many sleepless nights. “I’m really nervous,” confessed Yash Hari, a senior applying to nine different colleges, including an Ivy League, “but at the same time, I feel like some things are out of my control, which actually doesn’t help those nerves at all.”

Another senior, Brian Goldstein, had a different feeling about his applications. “I sent in applications to something between eight and ten different colleges, but I’m really not that panicked about it. I’m going for a medical career, so undergrad really isn’t as important…what really matters is the kind of medical program I can get into after my four years.”

Thus, I invite the rest of the school to be kind to our seniors as they face these next few months of both success and failure. When you can, extend to them a cup of coffee, a piece of advice, or just a smile because you can be certain that they need it.

---