Finishing high school is terrifying. It’s the end of childhood, and the end of a fairly consistent lifestyle. For many, the end of high school means something new: going to college. But going to college isn’t exactly easy. Besides having to leave family behind, it also requires effort in and outside of school, from having decent grades to doing some extracurriculars. 

Senior Mars Fagin, who has committed to Michigan State University, has been through the full process of applying and being accepted to colleges. “Overall, I think the biggest thing is to stay on top of it,” is what he said about application season. One example of this is to look at the prompts for the Common Application essay (what most universities use), as they are available on the internet. Even if one does not plan to apply for a while, writing essays early allows for more time to work on other parts of the application. 

Fagin also gave advice to focus on finding a path to study. “Take a class, get an internship, just make an effort to get involved and make sure that’s the right career path for you.” 

As a senior, Fagin has been through the whole cycle, and has gained experience. But that doesn’t mean that underclassmen are not unprepared. One junior, Audrey Shaw, seems to have a good grip on what she wants to do with her future from her interview. 

Shaw knows that she wants to go to college, and that she wants to study engineering. Already, she knows that she has locations narrowed down to the East Coast and California. Shaw elaborated that her preparation for college is taking AP courses, finding volunteer work, joining clubs, and finding leadership opportunities.  Her biggest thing, however, is, “focusing on community outreach,” and her reasoning for this is, “that’s the most important to find your character.” Shaw explains that character is important for application, and especially for those essays, alongside hard work. 

Whether you are someone who has been through the process of getting into college or someone who has not, it is important to understand the importance of working hard and preparing for applying. Whether this means writing essays early on, taking a class, joining a club in a field of interest, or finding an outside community resource, If you want to go to college, it is important to prepare. Finding a future career and life isn’t easy, but preparing in advance makes it easier.