Embedded Files
There is no doubt that thinking about college and applications and actually doing them is a stressful and difficult time. That's why we asked a few seniors from the class of 2022 to share advice, opinions, and words of wisdom about what they thought about the overall process.
Something that some seniors suggest that will benefit your college search and narrow it down would be to visit and tour your colleges. Touring a college can be extremely beneficial for a student because they can ask questions, and it helps them to envision a future at that specific college’s environment.
“I liked the smaller size and that it felt like a family. I also liked the new buildings that felt very modern. The tour gave me a feel of what going to that school would be like.” -Jackson Tracey touring Providence College.
“I liked how we got to walk around and pick up the vibe of the campus, and for the colleges, I've toured, it gives me more peace of mind as to whether I can see myself going there or not.” -Norah Aguirre
Whether you apply early action or regular decision for your colleges, it can sometimes take time for your colleges to get back to you with their decisions. A good amount of seniors say that being deferred does not mean you haven’t been rejected, so don’t get your hopes down yet! Until a college has gotten back with their decision, it might be a little while before you make your final decision, so don't stress if everyone else has. For example, as of today, March 11, 2022, seniors like Kaitlyn Niro have applied to ten colleges/universities, and have been only accepted to one and are currently waiting on decisions from Columbia, NYU, Brown, BU, etc. Whereas other seniors like Isabella Cappucci who applied to over ten colleges/universities, have already been accepted to eight, including UMass Dartmouth, Sacred Heart, Johnson & Wales, etc. For these reasons, many students have yet to make the decision of where they will be attending next year.
Another thing that some students have yet to make decisions about is their major. When applying to colleges, and even in your freshman year, it is alright whether or not you do or don’t know what you want to major in. There are definitely benefits for both. If you go into college knowing your major (decided), it will be easier to narrow down which colleges are the best fit for you, you save time, and can even save money by applying for specific scholarships that associate with your major. If you go into college undecided, it can help you because it can provide more opportunities for discovery. There is no harm in going into college as undecided because there is more room to explore majors and take diverse classes.
One of the most important things that all seniors said to do was to NOT PROCRASTINATE! Many seniors hated the tedious and stressful process because it was very time-consuming, so make sure you get a head-start on everything, set due dates for yourself, and don’t wait until the last minute to do something, whether it is something for Senior Paper or an application itself!
“It's super stressful and you should ABSOLUTELY NOT wait until the last minute to turn your supplementals in. Don't do it, it will only make everything worse, so give yourself at least a week so that you can also go back and revise them and have other people edit them.” -Kaitlyn Niro
“So stressful and unorganized. I wish we got more help or the system was easier to maneuver. It felt almost impossible to do on your own.” -Abigail Nowell
“It's really long and tedious. For instance, for colleges that weren't on the CommonApp (e.g. MIT), I had to input information that I already inputted for the CommonApp. Luckily, though, a lot of the supplementary questions were similar, so I often used what I wrote for one question to answer another supplementary question.” -Abigail Izzo
Some seniors even suggested some tips and tricks to help make the process flow a little easier:
“Start looking for colleges early on! Look into programs you're interested in, and make sure you'll be able to afford the school (or at least get good merit scholarships) before making a final decision. I also suggest that you take into account details you might not have originally considered such as ratio of boys to girls, ratio of teacher to student (do you like bigger classes or smaller classes?), what the dorms and dining situations are like, how far from home you might be, or how diverse your campus is!” -Norah Aguirre
“Try to get as much done as you can before school starts so you can apply early to more schools. If you email the school, many will give you an application fee waiver.” -Jackson Tracey
“Give yourself time, don't wait until the last minute, and actually research your schools. Look deep into the financial aid they would give you/actually look at net price calculators, look at how current students feel about the school, look at the programs they have, the classes they offer, and how the school itself will benefit you as a certain major, because you will most likely have to answer a supplemental about why you're applying to that school in particular. It's in your best interest to not talk about location, and rather talk specifically about what the school has to offer you as a student and your major.” -Kaitlyn Niro
“Start your college app in the summer, make a spreadsheet of possible colleges. Apply to many private colleges, preferably out of state schools, cause the sticker price might look scary, but they give wayyyy more money. At least apply to URI as a safety, even if you think you are Columbia worthy just do it.” -Lucia Krekorian
“Jump on it as soon as you can.” -Andrew Menard
“Start working on it early. It's a long process and it would save you a lot of stress if you're on top of it. -Abigail Izzo
“Take the time to explore any college you want and apply even if you're slightly drawn to it. I didn't do that and stuck to schools close by, assuming I'd eventually decide on URI so I didn't even bother applying to other faraway schools that I was interested in (so, so sad). So basically apply to any schools that have your interests even if you think you already know which school you will go to.” -Olivia Zeyl
We hope that some of this advice and information will help you throughout your college application process. Remember, don’t procrastinate and ask for help if you need it.
GOOD LUCK INCOMING SENIORS!
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse