I was caught in a state of distress. Running low on time,I had to make a decision quickly; a decision that would play a pivotal point in my life. This is an aggravating moment every highschooler endures: the college application process. Vigorously scrolling through my inbox, I pass numerous colleges and why theirs is known as the “best”. However, all of these are colleges I’ve visited countless times; ones I’ve grown numb to, specifically, for the fact that they are all like the others. In other words, they all had a “cliche” style in teaching. Then suddenly, something I have never heard of shows up in my inbox:“Vassar College.” Thankfully, through QuestBridge, I was notified of colleges that I could be interested in. Fortunately, through
Everything for a year had been leading up to this point and here I was in the middle of the happiest place on earth in tears because my friends had abandoned me in the middle of Disney on the senior trip.
“Coastal Carolina is too far away for you to come home when you have the chance.” Kaylee (my Girlfriend at the time) said to me in my first car as we talked about college choices. I told her about my acceptance to Coastal Carolina University I received from Mrs. Emmons (personal guidance counselor in high school) during a school day, early February. Kaylee’s words made me start a to question myself; “What other colleges can I choose?”. I came home and sat down with my parents in the living room with my Coastal Carolina acceptance letter in my hand and they were proud of me. I asked my parents the same question I asked myself earlier that day “What other colleges can I choose from?”. When
Every year there are thousands of students planning and tracking their goals. Seniors in high school are faced with the tough challenge, while the Juniors are left to worry another year. Finally, the point comes a student’s life where they must make one of the most important decisions in their educational lifetime. That choice is, which college to attend, and it is a very scrutinous process. Two of such colleges are the University of Iowa and St. Ambrose University, and although similarities like majors and minors are evident, there are many other differences including student life.
After graduating from high school many graduated seniors face the difficult challenge of applying to a university or community college to attend to in the fall. With applying to college, students compare their likes and dislikes with each school, determine which school environment suits them best, and where can they receive the best possible education for their potential major. Searching for a school to attend is an important part of a student’s life and applying to one should be performed very carefully. Before students are admitted to a school, Universities must determine whether a student is applicable during an admission process. Admission is a crucial step to being accepted into an elite college or major university. There are a few ways which the admissions process can take place, and the legacy admission is one to name out of the few. Many controversial issues have arisen through out the past few years, stating that this type of selection is not fair to other students who do not qualify under the legacy status. It is unethical to choose a student for superior reasons, because it is not fair to other students who are not of superior status, but deserve to attend a school.
The college application process is one of the hardest parts of a high school career.
When applying to University there are multiple steps which lead to many frustrations and stress. Everyone from the top student to the student who is forced to apply, deals with these frustrations. In my experience, I threw things, abused my computer, and my eyes may have watered from the frustrations of course. Not only is the process hard, filling in every form, obtaining letter of recommendation, but the four years that you spent trying to come up with the information you are providing was hard.
“You have any college in mind that you will apply to, Ngan?” It was another normal day of my senior year in high school: ten of us who were applying for U.S colleges formed a special group after class, cramming SAT and writing essays together.
College is an important stepping stone into the future, and it is accompanied by many challenges. The heaviest burden we bear throughout high school is preparing for our future and getting into college. As my senior year approached, and my family and counselors were constantly hounding me to start looking into my different options, the big question hit me. What school do I want to go to? Some people know right away where they want to go, while others—including myself—remain unsure and hesitant. Through research and much consideration, I was able to narrow down my options to two different yet similar colleges: Pennsylvania State University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In order to come to a final decision on which college to attend, I must consider these different factors: the campus itself, the quality of education, my family ties, and tuition.
As the college application deadline draws nearer, high school seniors across the country will make their final decisions as to what handful of colleges and universities will receive the applications they rigorously spent their autumn weekends working on.
At whatever age someone decides to start planning their future, it is often a little difficult. When I decided that I wanted to attend college, I didn’t know where to start. Even with the help of teachers, parents, and counselors, trying to find the right colleges to apply to was a bit of a challenge. In spite of this, I have enough resources that helped me develop a solid plan for applying to college.
Hunching a shoulder against the stiff wind, I took a deep breath of thin mountain air and looked out over the spectacular vista of craggy peaks and brilliant sky, feeling more than a little sorry for myself. Behind me lay five steep miles and hours of hiking that had started in the predawn blackness; my legs were numb and my hands tinged icy blue, but somehow there were still two cruel miles between me and the rugged summit of Mount Yale. I was toying with the idea of sitting down for a long rest when the clouds cleared and I caught a glimpse of my goal through the mist. That did it, I thought, and forced myself to pick up the pace. Step by step, I ground upwards, doggedly ignoring the increasingly desperate pleas of my legs and lungs. “Almost there - almost there - almost there,” I repeated to myself like a mantra, and after a million forevers I was there.
On February 21, 2016, I, Deputy John Arnold, went to 11747 West 105th Street South to assist another deputy in reference to a fight in progress.
Not accepted. Declined. The ultimate decisions that will decide my future in college have arrived; and as I shuffle through them, I recognize a repeating pattern. The bittersweet words conceal the sensitive messages that aim to end childhood dreams. We regret to inform you that we do not see a place for you in our excelling community. The decision has been made; Have I simply failed at showing my personality? Where do I go now? I sit in my chair pondering these thoughts as I type this story and I see myself smiling. These letters would not stop my goals and aspirations from becoming a reality; I would let these denial letters ignite my determination, but rather, I would let obstacles give me a reason to work more diligently. If I was rejected from every college I applied to, I would find a job that allowed me to express and achieve my goals and aspirations, I would aggressively pursue an education later in my lifetime, and I would refocus my life to not include college.
A typical junior or senior in high school is faced with a dizzying array of choices in choosing a college. Questions such as "How much is tuition." "Is there housing on campus," and "What standardized tests do they accept." are all valid and relevant. Fortunately, asking these types of questions often narrows a broad swath of potential colleges down to a small few. With that in mind, I chose a university that seemed to suit my needs, and I applied. Since I was accepted, I did't need to apply anywhere else. I was all set for the "college experience", life at the big U. Or so I thought.
As the end of my senior year in high school approached, I had to make an important decision. What school was I going to spend the next few years of my life at? When the financial aid packages arrived, I was torn between two colleges. After sitting down with my mother and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of both schools, I came to my final decision. It seemed like a year ago I was imagining what college life would be like and suddenly before my eyes, I would be a college student in a matter of four months.