By Cameron Hill
As final college application deadlines approach, seniors will finally be able to relax after months of dealing with Senior Theses, schoolwork, extracurriculars and most importantly, college applications.
Applying to college can seem daunting at first: there are so many colleges across the country and finding the right ones to apply to, keeping track of what applications each college will accept and meeting the deadlines can be challenging. Luckily our seniors, who are almost done with the process, have lots of helpful information.
Seniors Nishat Ahmed and Marzuk Hasan both emphasized the importance of research before applying. Marzuk said, “Start early and research all sorts of opportunities.” Nishat agreed, saying, “Research your schools well and take notes.”
You also must understand where you are applying. Application fees can be costly so you have to make sure you are truly interested in a university before spending the time and money to apply.
Then comes the easy part: doing the actual applications!
Just kidding. College applications can be, as Marzuk says, “deceptively long” and you often have to input the same information repeatedly on different applications. Marzuk, Nishat and senior Lainey Wait all stressed one point: start early. Marzuk recommended “starting as soon as you can.”
In terms of getting the applications done, Lainey recommended working outside and listening to music to help the time go faster and keep you focused on the task at hand. Lainey and Nishat also both motivated themselves with a food reward after they completed an application.
However, both Lainey and Nishat remarked how easy it is to get burned out while filling out college applications. Lainey says to complete “a set goal for any given day,” and then hang out with friends. Marzuk provides a critical reminder: “Make sure college apps don’t consume your life!” While college is undoubtedly important, senior year is your last chance to spend time with your classmates and form lasting bonds with your peers.