The College Process

By Ron Denny ‘12 and Amanda Cirino ‘12

High school seniors will describe their recent experience applying to college as stressful, overwhelming, tedious, and even confusing. To some people, the college process is a nightmare, but it does not have to be like this.

There are so many steps when applying to college: The Common Application (Common App), teacher recommendations, supplements, the essay, SATs, and the list goes on and on. That being said, it is not surprising that each senior expressed a different part of the college search as being the most challenging.

Tori Von Ancken said the hardest part for her was deciding on which schools to apply to, wishing she had a list of colleges before senior year even started. According to BrainTrack.com, The US has over 7,000 higher education institutions and over 15 million students.

Andre Loukrezis and Olivia Zacks agreed. Zacks commented, “The Common App was the hardest part.” If they could advise underclassmen about the Common App they would tell them to complete it over the summer so they don’t have to worry about it when school starts.

Some students are accustomed to getting “spoon-fed” and “babied” and may have trouble coping with the many deadlines of senior year. Betty Denny mother of a Trumbull High senior said, “Don’t wait for your parents to take on the responsibility.” Take the initiative and be more independent.

At the end of junior year students should have two teachers committed to writing their letters of recommendation. Teachers limit the amount of letters they write, so it is better to ask them earlier rather than later.

Seniors at THS agreed the best option for applying is early action. This has an earlier deadline (usually November 1st), and students will hear back from the schools up to four months before the seniors who opt to do regular decision. “It is so much better to apply early action rather than regular decision. You will have more time to decide, and the anticipation of waiting for those letters will be over before the holidays,” said senior Silvia Sclafani.

Applying to college may seem terrifying; however, taking it one step at a time and listening to advice from family, friends, teachers, and guidance counselors will ensure success. Do not get discouraged and remember to be independent, be organized, and be an advocate for yourself.

Here are some tips for the underclassmen:

Freshmen:
• Grades do matter freshmen year. These grades will factor into the overall GPA and will be on the transcript that gets sent to colleges.
• Explore a wide variety of classes to see what is intriguing.

Sophomores:
• It’s never too early to start looking. See what colleges are out there.
• Go on a college visit in the area to get an idea of what is out there. (Weather it’s a big school, small school, public, or private, in Connecticut or out of Connecticut).

Juniors:
• It is important to take the college essay serious. Finish as much as possible in junior year English classes. Make sure it’s 500 words or less.
• Compile a list of schools that are options to visit and/or apply to. Use Naviance to find schools within reach. Don’t be unrealistic.