College for Dummies: How Students Experience Each Step of the Journey
The college application process is a journey that begins the day a student first steps foot into high school, whether they like it or not. While it may seem distant for the underclassmen, first-semester seniors are in the thick of the work: writing essays, asking for letters of recommendation, and continuing to manage schoolwork and other activities, all of which culminate to determine the next four years of their lives.
“I felt quite a lot of excitement about the writing process, but I also felt low self-esteem when thinking about my grades and how a college admissions officer would see them. I felt anxious about whether I was outstanding enough in a sea of talented applicants,” said senior Natalie Pan.
Even sophomores share these feelings of self-doubt. “I feel good about my grades right now, but I’m scared because I feel like I have to get them even better to get into college, and that would take so much more time and energy. I’m not sure I have that,” said sophomore Coby Levy. “My parents don’t pressure me at all, but when I hear other people being sad about an A-, it puts a lot of pressure on me.”
“I was actually more stressed last year than this year because now, I know a bit more about the process. I’d also say I'm still stressed because there’s a lot of competition, and I feel like there’s still a lot I have to do,” said sophomore Anya Kinkhabwala. “I’m not that pressured about my grades because I’ve been able to manage my academics pretty well, but when it comes to extracurriculars, I feel like there's more pressure there for me. I’d say that a lot of [the pressure] does come from myself, but some of it also comes from my parents and seeing what people are doing around me.”
These feelings of pressure and stress are totally normal. To help students with this, Athenian has curated three information sheets for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, to help walk them through what they should be focusing on each year. Additionally, college counselors are there to support students every step of the way. Early on, support and guidance are typically provided through group programming and events.
“We host college preview and information nights for ninth and tenth-grade parents, where we discuss the college counseling program and process. We are also available to students and parents for general questions and meetings by request,” said Co-director of College Counseling Mark van Warmerdam.
For juniors and seniors specifically, grade levels where the college application process finally starts, he said, “Be thoughtful and reflective. Identifying what is important to you serves as the best guidepost to a successful process. Be open-minded; some students and parents have preconceived notions about schools and majors. Being open and curious to learn more about what is available can lead to some very pleasant surprises. Be organized and do the work, read emails, utilize a calendar, and meet the deadlines set up by the college counseling office. There is a lot of work in the college process, which is why we start early. Putting in consistent effort over time will make things less stressful and result in stronger applications.”
Despite the resources and guidance available, many juniors, who have just begun preparing for college applications with college counselors, still find the process stressful. “I’m pretty stressed. I’m always not sure if I’ve been doing enough or have enough extracurriculars to go where I want,” said junior Alex Bennet. “Though I worry about college at least once every day, I feel like Athenian is doing a pretty good job preparing us for the application process. They are telling us what and when to do things in a way that makes it a lot more straightforward and less stressful.”
Contrasting the stressed crowd, freshman Alexander Palacios said, “I’m not insanely stressed about the college application process. I know it’s a big deal that will take a long time, but I also know that it’s kind of far away, so I have time.” Additionally, the thought of college rarely lingers for him. “I think somewhat often about college, but mostly because my older family members are dealing with it. On a day-to-day basis, think more about getting good grades, but I’m not always thinking about college when I’m thinking about grades,” he said.
Additionally, some have found joy in the application process. “College applications really make you think of questions you haven’t really thought about in high school, such as: What is your purpose? Why do you do the things you do? I really got to reflect on who I am and what I want to be,” said senior William Nie. “Now that I’m done with that process, I’m beginning to ask myself questions about my legacy here at Athenian. Instead of thinking about how to get A’s in classes, I’m thinking more about what I can do to change the community or what am I going to be known for.”
As a second-semester senior, Natalie has had time to reflect on her experience here at Athenian. “I realize that I started learning and went to Athenian because I loved learning, not because I needed to impress every college I applied to. While college applications are very important to the academic process, I realized a lot of the important learning I did was through forming relationships with my teachers and peers and working together to solve challenges both in our community and in our classes.”
