As the school year starts, many students are working hard to get themselves situated for the upcoming high school year.
Many seniors, however, are balancing the weight of both the future and present as college applications open for the 2024-25 academic school year.
University of North Texas bound senior Ciara Willis has already completed the process and found it to be mostly stress-free.
“Getting started early was important to me so that I could get FFA and scholarships out of the way,” Willis said. “I was a little stressed at first because I had to wait three weeks [for an acceptance letter], which felt like a month. After I got accepted, it was a big relief—It was surprisingly easy.”
Willis found the process to go smoother because she had a clear understanding of what she needed to do to get into UNT.
“I was already planning on applying in June,” Willis said. “I had to wait until July, but all I had to do was answer some questions like my major and address, then turn in my transcript. No essay or anything like that for UNT.”
However, not all seniors are as deep into the process as Willis or have the same level of clarity on the process.
“I believe the college process can be extremely demanding and overwhelming,” senior Anila Narula said. “There isn’t a clear answer anywhere of exactly what each college is looking for, and the process can get really complicated. This is especially true when you’re applying to more prestigious, out-of-state schools.”
That being said, Narula is still confident about applying, even in the midst of all the confusion.
“It’s both exciting and terrifying,” Narula said. “But at the end of the day, one bad application or not getting into a school won’t keep you from fulfilling your life goals.”
For seniors who are still in the college application process, counselor Ryan Kiefer advises students to avoid rushing the process.
“Think of it like writing a major paper,” Kiefer said. “Give yourself time and work backward. Ask yourself what your major is and narrow it down based on schools that offer that program. Then focus on the deadlines—you may have to wait or take more time on certain applications. It’s really important to give yourself time.”
