With college application deadlines around the corner, seniors are scrambling to collect their letters of recommendation and completing their resumes on top of all their school work. While it is not required, Seniors at Skyline High School tend to follow a nationwide trend of applying to colleges early.
The number of early action and early decision applicants is increasing. Brown University received 6770 early applicants which was a 10% increase from last year. Barnard college also counted an 11% increase and a 17% last year.
While the percentage varies from school to school, early applicants are shown to have a 9-11% higher acceptance rate than regular applicants according to data from the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
Aside from a statistical advantage, Skyline senior Erik Kilimov feels the need to prepare early because he can get a head start and deal with stress earlier on.
“My personal essay, I’ve already done a couple of drafts and it’s helped me revise it and get to exactly what I want,” Kilimov said. “It helps you get your activities list done early.”
Senior Devin Chung, plans to complete his applications by January. He believes he will be stress-free momentarily because he will be able to take on final exams without the pressure of additional application deadlines.
“I think in senior year, no matter how much you think senioritis exists, it’s really not possible until at least you turn in your college apps,” Chung said.
However, early action isn’t always the right choice for everyone. Chung plans to apply for regular admission to most colleges, giving him more time to work on his applications. Regardless, he prepared early, enabling him to find activities he could add to his application and look for colleges he was interested in, tailoring his application to them.
“Try everything would be kind of my advice,” Chung said. “You can try helping kids, helping a food bank, see if you really like helping people. Internships are great because you really get to step into the field.”
Aside from the application process, many students worry about their financial situation in college. According to Harvard Undergraduate Law Review, the average cost of in-state tuition in 2018-2019 was $9,212, and out-of-state was $26,382. The average difference was $17,170, almost triple the in-state amount.
Starting early also gives students time to review their financial options. Kilimov recommended every student apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA), which awards aid to students including scholarships, grants, and loans.
“No matter what wealth you come from, you can always get money from the FAFSA,” Kilimov said.
Since Chung applied to many out-of-state colleges, he decided to utilize loans, savings and investments to manage student debt. He applied to multiple scholarships, one coming from his volunteer work. He believes that the best kinds of scholarships usually come from honors.
“There’s so many scholarships out there so you just have to tailor it to…what you need,” Chung said. “Some are more academic, some are more based on extracurricular accomplishments, some could be more cultural.”
