College application season has begun and is quickly ending for most high school seniors. The fall months are a crucial time for seniors to gather the materials necessary to enroll in university during the fall 2021 semester. Maya Kundu and Saya Betzler are Skyline seniors that have submitted some applications, but still have a long way until they can celebrate their hard work and success.

Online schooling has put a strain on the senior’s workload, resulting in high-stress levels and a keyed-up environment. Kundu has expressed the difficulty it is to finish homework and applications at the same time. 

“First-semester senior year is so stressful because you have to do all your school work and then college application,” Kundu said. “I can’t balance anything.”

Betzler revealed that teachers and counselors have been helpful during this time when seniors ask them for other necessary materials, such as letters of recommendation. Most materials that colleges need take time to fill out and provide well-thought out answers, in order to ensure they can have a clear understanding of who the student is. 

“It’s on the student to gather their necessary materials,” Betzler said. “The teachers I asked for letters of recommendation have been really helpful and they got it done.” 

The seniors have both said that time management is crucial during this process. 

Betzler said, “I have the mentality of trying to do college apps after homework, but I never get to it, so I just do them on the weekends.”

Kundu shared that the hardest and most important part of the application is the personal essay that some colleges require. She mentioned the time and dedication it took for her to be happy with the final results. 

“If you have a good essay but not that good of statistics, that can change your whole outcome to that school,” Kundu said. “It is a chance to show the school who you really are as a person.”

Betzler also brought up the idea that the personal essay can be difficult since most seniors lack personal writing experience.

“Through the high school years, they tell you to write essays on research topics but they never tell you to write about yourself,” Betzler said. “it’s a challenge.”

High school seniors throughout the country are balancing online schooling while trying to complete the college application process. At times the progress can seem small and the process is long and stressful, nonetheless, they are working hard to finish. The first semester months are urgent, but they are pushing through to get into their dream schools.