Now approaching the home stretch of their high school careers, members of the class of 2024 find themselves at the end of the college application process. Each year, NHP’s seniors submit a number of applications to colleges in hopes of acceptance. The applications summarize the work to which seniors have committed during their high school careers, including all classes, extracurricular activities, volunteer work and other additions to their resumes.
For many students, the college application process begins in junior year, when students start to take the nationwide SAT and ACT exams. These exams are commonly used as a benchmark by colleges to evaluate applications. Many will spend a sizable chunk of their junior year preparing for these tests to improve their college applications. After going through the rigorous test-taking process, many of NHP’s seniors feel accomplished and as a result, better understand how to properly study for an exam.
“I’m not going to lie, the SAT was quite challenging,” senior Ian Alana said. “However, if you study well enough and put in enough time, it isn’t as bad as it first seems. I would say one of the most challenging aspects of it is pacing yourself and getting through all of the questions in time.”
Many schools open their application portals starting at the end of the summer season, with many having opted into services such as the Common App, the Coalition Application and QuestBridge to streamline the process of applying. Arguably the most unique aspect of a student’s application is their writing pieces, including the Common App essay, supplemental essays or any other writing an application requires. Looking back, many seniors feel that this part of the application is hardest.
“Supplementals are integral in the application process but it’s just mentally and physically draining to be writing tons of essays over the course of a couple months,” senior Brandon Noguera said. “For me personally, the application process wasn’t really difficult because I only had around eight supplements while I know some students had dozens. What I’ve learned is that you should certainly be proactive when it comes to college applications and to be excited for the unknown.”
“For me, writing my essays was the most challenging part of my application,” senior Julia Lopez said. “Colleges are reading thousands of essays, and I knew that going in. So, you want to make your essays stand out, while still remaining true to who you are and displaying that to admissions officers.”
Once applications are submitted, some seniors continue to complete interviews, scholarship applications, mid-year reports and other requirements to prepare for life outside of NHP. A common theme amongst students is burnout; many seniors, approaching the end of their time at NHP, express a lack of motivation to complete school assignments.
“Seniors’ behaviors have drastically changed, as I’ve noticed: half of them are exhausted and less motivated in class, while the other half are still giving it their all,” senior Joyce Cordero said. “Most of us can agree that we are all exhausted. This is not shocking, in my opinion. We all forgot that this year was also supposed to be fun, but we were all so anxious and concerned about the future. We are still having a good time, and I’m excited to see how inventive everyone can be as senior week approaches.”
Despite possible burnout, seniors have also reflected on their growth as a result of the college application process, where many of them learned time management and dedication.
“Seniors have become more responsible since they must pay attention to deadlines and meet them,” AP Literature teacher Mrs. Kaspar said. “They also must use and regularly check their email as a mode of communication. Also, the process has led seniors to self-reflect on who they are at this stage, which they don’t often take the time to do.”
This year proves to be pivotal for seniors as it marks the end of one journey and paves the way for a new educational experience. As seniors prepare to receive long-awaited decisions from their schools of choice, many are looking forward to enjoying the months they have left at NHP.
