As high school seniors navigate their final year in TCS, the pressure of college admissions casts a looming shadow over their daily lives, from juggling coursework and extracurricular activities to perfecting applications.
For many seniors, the pursuit of higher education is not just a goal but a source of profound stress, manifesting in sleepless nights, heightened anxiety, and strained relationships. With the weight of their future resting on each application submitted, the daily grind of balancing academics, standardized tests, and personal statements becomes an all-encompassing challenge
“It Has been a real struggle for me to find the university that best fits me, I have had it really tough finding it and it has not been fun, this is because I need to play a tournament to see the scholarships available and all depends on that,” Senior Pedro Gonzalez said.
Exploring financial aid opportunities is essential for seniors. From scholarships and grants to loans and work-study programs, various avenues exist to alleviate the financial burden of college.
“I didn’t have many opportunities where to study and the ones I had were relay strict, I searched for financial aid because the school was really expensive, I am really happy I got help and that I am going to study abroad thanks to this,” Senior Pablo Escandon said.
Many colleges and universities employ a holistic approach to admissions, considering not only grades and test scores but also extracurricular activities, essays, recommendation letters, and personal experiences. Highlighting diverse strengths can significantly enhance an applicant’s profile.
“I was a part of many extracuriculars in school and outside school, for my application it was a big thing because this shows commitment and activities that university likes, the part I loved the most were the social hours wich were helping kids with needs,” Senior Manuela Salazar said.
Understanding application deadlines is crucial. Different colleges have varying deadlines for early decision, early action, regular decision, and rolling admissions. Missing deadlines can jeopardize an applicant’s chances of acceptance.
“My decision was crucial for early acces to many universities in the US, had I to choose from many to 3 I liked the most in this moment I am accepted to 8 universities and have to take my decision soon,” Senior Juan Esteban Perez said.
Seniors often face the pressure of completing their final coursework, projects, and exams while maintaining a certain GPA to graduate. Balancing multiple demanding courses can be overwhelming, especially when combined with other responsibilities.
“I have had many responsabilities to keep up with my grades threw out my high school time, but now that I got into the university I wanted there is not so much pressure and my effort has dropped a lot,” Salazar said.