When the school bell rang in August, freshmen were thrown into a new school, with new classes and a sea of people. While freshmen just focus on navigating their first year, seniors start off their fall semester with pressure to make plans for the future. They start the year with looming college deadlines and scholarship essays all for the far-off promise of graduation.

“College applications can be stressful if you already have a busy schedule,” senior Bree Rundle said. “It can be hard to find a time when you’re not doing school work or working so you can sit down and apply.”

Rundle sent in applications to four universities and plans to apply to three more. Any student with a long list of potential colleges, Rundle included, might become overwhelmed from the amount of applications and submissions required. To combat any stresses from the tedious process, counselor Catherine Kelly recommends preparing early.

“Get everything together! Make sure you have your transcript, essay’s, letters of recommendation, test scores, etc.,” Kelly said. “It is much easier to apply when you have everything ready.”

Along with the standardized test scores, essays, transcripts and letters of recommendation, some colleges require special materials depending on the student’s intended area of study. For senior Emilee Talley, her college applications go beyond the normal 500 word essay.

“Because I want to audition for dance schools, I have the added pressure of an audition video as well as an in person audition for both schools,” Talley said. “This adds a whole extra step to getting prepared for college applications as I have to prepare a class and variation as well as my body and mind for the audition deadline.”

Talley plans to pursue a career in dance, so both of her applications for TCU and Oklahoma University include extra steps to consider her admission into the ballet program. She must include a video submission of a variation and class, and attend an in-person audition in the event she receives a callback. 

Even with the added pressure of video submissions, Talley finds the application essays stressful.

“Having to tell a college why you are a good choice in such a small word count is hard when you have lived through so much,” Talley said.

Kelly understands the stresses of the seniors well. After serving as a DHS counselor for four years, she’s seen her fair share of college hopefuls and guesses the main cause of stress stems from the uncertainty of the process.

“I think sometimes it’s just the unknown.  A lot of students have never seen a college application, but once they get started, they are pretty easy to fill out,” Kelly said. “As counselors, we are here to help in any way that we can!”

Despite the countless essays, deadlines and weeks waiting for a decision, Kelly wants seniors to enjoy this time as they prepare for the next step.

“Preparing for college is an awesome experience and going to college is another,” Kelly said. “It’s an exciting time in your life, enjoy it!”