By Ashlee Geraghty, Social Media Editor
Senior year: a year that feels like it will not come soon enough, but when it does you find yourself grasping onto what little time you have left in high school. Thinking back to September when I submitted my first college application, I thought it would feel like an eternity before I heard back from any schools. Surprisingly it hasn’t felt long at all.
When I got my first acceptance letter back in December, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. I knew that no matter what the rest of those letters said, I was guaranteed admission somewhere.
Throughout the application and decision process, I have learned a lot about myself and have had to prioritize what I believed was truly important to my future. There are too many things I wish I could tell myself back when I was stressing about making these crucial, life-changing decisions. Here are just a few things I’ve learned:
Keep your options open
I applied to three schools, which stressed me out after hearing about one of my friends applying to eight. I thought it was crazy to apply to colleges I wasn’t even considering going to, but as I waited to hear back from them, I grew fearful that three might not have been enough. What if I got rejected from all of them? What if my application just wasn’t good enough? All the “What ifs” filled my mind with worry until my first acceptance came.
I remember our counselors telling us during our senior meetings to apply to at least three schools. The first one being a safety school — a school you know you will get into. For me, this school was the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Then comes a reach school, or one that you are somewhat confident about. My reach school was the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The last one is your dream school, the school you without a doubt know you want to go to. For me, this was NC State.
It is important to apply where you want to go, but to also have backups. Even though applying can be a pricey and lengthy process, I would highly recommend applying to as many schools as you can so you will not endure the mid-year panic that I did.
Be prepared for the worst
Looking back at the past four years, I had a general idea of where I stood academically in my class. I had good grades, took rigorous courses, but was not necessarily the top 10. I applied to two schools that I felt were in my range, and one school (my dream school) that was a little out of my reach.
While I’m still hopeful to get into my dream school, I realistically know it may not happen. It’s important to be honest with yourself and not be overly confident when applying. Nobody knows who’s going to read their application and what they’re thinking when they read it.
While waiting for an acceptance (or rejection) letter from NC State, I’ve told myself countless times that if I don’t get in, everything will be OK. Rejection hurts and it’s natural to be upset, but in the end, it’s best to have a positive attitude so you can be happy about where you end up.
Go where you truly want to go
When you are making a decision, it is important to focus on what you want and what you are looking for in a school. Many times people have outside factors influencing the decision process.
Something I cannot stress enough is don’t go somewhere you don’t want to go just because that’s where your friends are going. The initial thought of separating from your friend group seems scary, and I know this thought will take its toll on me eventually. However, college is full of new experiences and new people who I can’t wait to meet.
Another common influence could be family members. I am very fortunate to have two parents who support me in whatever decision I make with my future. I know that not everyone is this fortunate, and some people have a fear of disappointing their parents.
In the end though, it’s your future, and where you decide to go will more than likely be your home for the next four years. Choose somewhere that is comforting and feels like home. Don’t base your decision off of where other people want you to go.
Take campus tours before making a decision
In middle school, I went on several college tours with a school group. Every school we toured had unique aspects that I liked, but three colleges in particular stuck out the most to me — NC State, UNC Wilmington and UNC Charlotte. Ever since then, these three schools have been my goal to work toward since freshman year.
Going on these tours and talking to other students helps you get a feel for the campus. You will find things that stand out, whether good or bad, that will help you make your decision.
After I applied to these three, I made it a point to visit each of them, and I’m glad I did. As we walked around the campuses, I found it easier to picture myself living at some colleges than others. This helped me categorize each college into my first, second and third choice.
Don’t give up
Some people may find it helpful to have a dream school (or multiple dream schools) in mind throughout high school. This will hopefully be motivation to work hard in all your classes. However, it’s important to keep in mind we may not always get our first choice, and that’s OK. There are many different options if this happens.
A popular, and cheaper, option has been attending community colleges for a couple of years and transferring to your first-choice school. Many have said how much easier it is to transfer into a school than it is to get in on their first try.
The process of applying, waiting and deciding has taught me a lot. I went in with a set goal of where I wanted to go and was determined to make it happen. However, still waiting for my letter from my dream school, I have come to learn that no matter what that letters says, everything happens for a reason and I plan to make the best of my college years wherever I attend.
Senior Ashlee Geraghty can be reached at geraghtyas0916@daretolearn.org.
