Applying to college is a process that can stress many seniors out. Eleven Wayland High School graduates share their experiences and the advice that they would give to current seniors who are going through this process now.

On applying early
Seniors applying to college have the choice between applying early action, early decision, regular decision and in some cases rolling admission. The early application deadlines are often in October or November, forcing students to finish their applications earlier. While this can cause more stress, many WHS alumni believe that the hard work put into the beginning of the school year can pay off in the future.

Drew Levey, 2012: “My number one piece of advice for applying to college is to use the early decision wisely. You have to be realistic. If you have a 3.5 GPA, you’re probably not getting into an Ivy. However, ED can really make a difference in getting into a school that is a reach but one that you probably wouldn’t get into for regular decision. That’s honestly how I think I got into school.”

Chris Mulhern, 2013: “Make sure you apply early to as many places as you can. It gets the application out of the way, and you have more flexibility.”

On writing college essays
During the application process, seniors who apply using the Common Application have to write a 650-word essay, also known as the personal statement. Even colleges that do not use the Common App require applicants to write one or more essays. This is often considered a difficult task because the questions are open-ended and can be written in many ways.

Nina Pongratz, 2009: “It’s okay to stress. Everyone does, but it is only one part of your application. Write about something that you’re passionate about. No matter how cheesy or unrelated it is to college, college is the part of your life where you will explore the things that are meaningful to you.”

Marissa Daftary, 2011: “The application process seems stressful now, but in a few years, you won’t even remember what you wrote in certain parts like your essay. Write something truthful and honest, and it’ll come across that way to the admissions office.”

On visiting schools
Colleges offer many different ways for students to learn more about their schools. They offer campus tours and information sessions, and many also send representatives to visit schools to meet with students. Many WHS alumni think it is important to take advantage of these opportunities to see what it’s really like to be on campus.

Cato Crumbley, 2011: “Visiting is what made me able to see myself here and eventually made me choose to go to the school that I’m at now.”

Isabel Schwartz, 2013: “I think touring was really important because you got a good feel for the student body. I liked going around with someone I knew at the school instead of on the official tour because it felt more authentic.”

Dealing with stress
Many underclassmen believe that seniors just relax during their last year of high school. However, seniors can expect to encounter research, essay writing and other parts of the college process that take up much of their time. These graduates understand that while the applying to schools can cause lots of anxiety, it is important to not stress takeover their lives.

Austin Wong, 2013: “Senior year has a lot of potential for having fun, so try not to let the stress of applying to colleges take away from that.”

Caleb Greenawalt, 2011: “Just relax. Everything will work out.”

On where to apply
There are many different ways to go about picking schools to apply to. Some students choose to apply to only a few schools, while others apply to a dozen or more. Commonly, students will break down application ratios between reach, target and likely schools evenly. However, some students apply to more of one group than the other. Another difference is that some apply to schools that they know have a good reputation, while others apply to schools that they like for separate reasons. These WHS alumni have some final advice on school selection and the college application process in general.

Taylor Elias, 2012: “Don’t have specific set plans because things don’t always go exactly the way you want them to. Be flexible to things changing and open to options you may not have considered before”

Danielle Barrett, 2010: “Just apply to where you want to go — somewhere that will be best in what you are passionate about. If you don’t have a clue about any of that, it’s okay. Just be honest, be brave and do what you love. Because trust me, nobody, in college and beyond, knows what they are doing. We’re all just making it up as we go along.”

Jackson Hubbell, 2012: “Everyone has a dream school. Find yours and do everything you can get into that school.”