The College Application Process: One Student’s Perspective

The+College+Application+Process%3A+One+Students+Perspective

You come home from school one Friday afternoon, exhausted from the draining week you’ve had, throwing your backpack carelessly to the floor. Between your sports games, extracurricular activities, and the immense amounts of homework you’ve had this week, you have barely had any time to yourself and are looking forward to a relaxing weekend. All you want to do is curl up in bed and relax for the entire weekend, but are suddenly reminded that the deadline for some of your college applications is quickly approaching, and you realize that your free time might have to be spent on completing those instead.

This scenario just became a reality for current VHS seniors. 

This fall, seniors at Verona High School have begun the college application process. While some have barely started their applications, others are already close to finishing. 

Verona High School senior, Sydney Theilmeier, began her application process earlier this school year. While the college application process was a little challenging at first, she eventually came up with solutions that helped keep all of her application requirements organized and up to date on the deadlines. 

“It’s so hard to stay on top of deadlines. Keeping a calendar of my due dates has been helpful,” Theilmeier said. By putting her due dates into a calendar, she has not missed any submission deadlines, and has submitted all of her applications on time so far. 

While many seniors have been told by recent high school graduates, parents, and other family members that the college application process can be a stressful time, additional factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have made it worse for students applying this year. 

“I find it’s hard to make personal connections with my guidance counselors. I feel in the dark when it comes to writing my essay because I don’t have the personal relationship I’d have with my counselors if we were in school normally these past few years,” Theilmeier explained. 

Theilmeier emphasized that something she found surprising about the college application process was how easy the Common App is to fill out. She was shocked by how self-explanatory it is and how it did not take that long to complete for each of her schools. She was also surprised that the supplements for each school were not as challenging to write as she had initially thought. 

Although the college admissions process can be a daunting time for some, Theilmeier said that she has received a lot of help and guidance on many aspects of the admissions process from her guidance counselor, even with the recent changes in the department. She further explained that he has helped clear up any confusion she may have had and answered any questions that arose while she was completing her applications. 

While some still may be undecided on what to major in or are still figuring out what kinds of topics or fields of study they are passionate about, Theilmeier used experiences from her real life that she enjoyed which helped her pick a major that she is passionate about pursuing. As someone who currently adores working with kids at her part time job, she decided on majoring in secondary education.