Isabelle Sarraf
Writer '18
Writer '18
There is one word that will trigger all juniors into a state of panic, confusion, and despair: college. As juniors move into the second semester, college will start becoming a major priority. Whether it is worrying about taking the SATs or ACTs, maintaining a high GPA, studying for AP exams, or being consistent with extracurriculars, juniors have a lot on their plate. Juniors have been called to guidance throughout the month of January to start filling out a long questionnaire to figure out their prospective colleges. Despite already having to worry about a million different things, juniors are now prompted with the overbearing college process.
Although many question whether or not it is too soon to start the college search process, it is better to start early than procrastinate until the beginning of senior year when college applications should already be somewhat started. The fact that the guidance department pushes juniors to start thinking about college is a great constant reminder that juniors should not be lazing around doing absolutely nothing; they should be aware of their responsibilities, whether that means signing up and studying for standardized tests, taking rigorous courses, or stepping up into a leadership role.
Juniors should not only be preparing for the qualifications needed to get into a college, but also thinking about which colleges they actually want to apply to. Junior Samantha Law says, “Looking at colleges earlier gives you the chance to see what colleges you like before you start visiting and such. You’re likely spending the next four years there; you should put yourself in an environment you enjoy.”
As there are various vacations scattered throughout the latter half of the school year, it would be wise for juniors to take advantage of this and go visit some colleges on their radar. If students have a favored school in mind, they should definitely request for a tour around the school’s campus to see if it is truly their dream school. Students who are open minded or cannot decide on a single school just by browsing websites should go to their guidance counselors and ask for help, as they can guide students in the right direction. Naviance is also a great tool offered by our school to help students sort out all of the schools they are interested in visiting or applying to.
The college process is definitely stressful and takes a toll on students, but there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel. Remember: the seniors have all gone through the same thing that juniors are going through now. Senior Julia Eshaghpour advises all the current juniors “to put all your effort into it but don’t worry about the outcome because there’s no way to control it. Just always try your hardest and everything will end up unfolding for you one way or another; it’ll work out despite the worrying.” Hang in there juniors, and remember to breathe every now and then.
Although many question whether or not it is too soon to start the college search process, it is better to start early than procrastinate until the beginning of senior year when college applications should already be somewhat started. The fact that the guidance department pushes juniors to start thinking about college is a great constant reminder that juniors should not be lazing around doing absolutely nothing; they should be aware of their responsibilities, whether that means signing up and studying for standardized tests, taking rigorous courses, or stepping up into a leadership role.
Juniors should not only be preparing for the qualifications needed to get into a college, but also thinking about which colleges they actually want to apply to. Junior Samantha Law says, “Looking at colleges earlier gives you the chance to see what colleges you like before you start visiting and such. You’re likely spending the next four years there; you should put yourself in an environment you enjoy.”
As there are various vacations scattered throughout the latter half of the school year, it would be wise for juniors to take advantage of this and go visit some colleges on their radar. If students have a favored school in mind, they should definitely request for a tour around the school’s campus to see if it is truly their dream school. Students who are open minded or cannot decide on a single school just by browsing websites should go to their guidance counselors and ask for help, as they can guide students in the right direction. Naviance is also a great tool offered by our school to help students sort out all of the schools they are interested in visiting or applying to.
The college process is definitely stressful and takes a toll on students, but there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel. Remember: the seniors have all gone through the same thing that juniors are going through now. Senior Julia Eshaghpour advises all the current juniors “to put all your effort into it but don’t worry about the outcome because there’s no way to control it. Just always try your hardest and everything will end up unfolding for you one way or another; it’ll work out despite the worrying.” Hang in there juniors, and remember to breathe every now and then.