As the November 1st, the early action/ decision deadline is fast approaching and the stress levels among seniors have reached an all time high.  High school seniors have spent over a decade in school preparing for what many feel to be the defining moment of education: getting accepted into college.  However, what is supposed to be a celebratory process has turned into a nightmare for many.

Something that many people underestimate is the time it takes to actually complete applications.  Although the Common Application has made things easier by having one application that can be sent to many schools, many people forget that there is more to it than filling out your name.  First of all, many colleges and universities are not on the Common Application. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2010-2011, there were close to 3,000 four year colleges and universities and the Common Application website from 2014 lists a little over 500 member colleges. That means filling out a new application each time a student applies.  Furthermore, many schools who use the common application also require  additional supplemental essays.  Some highly competitive schools have as many as ten extra essays.  Teachers are less lenient than ever when it comes to homework, and the added weight of applications makes for a stressful senior year.

Deadlines are another challenge for many students.  If not started early, there can be added anxiety to finish applications on time.  Regina makes it easy to stay on track, however, as the Student Services office requires that applications be sent in weeks earlier so there is accommodated time to send transcripts and extra materials.

“I luckily did not wait until the last minute.  I took my time with my applications, let teachers review my essays, and received feedback.  It’s stressful because you have to find the time to do it on your own and sometimes even I would get lazy and unmotivated,” said Christi Lato ’15.

Over the years, college admissions has become more of a game of chance.  When our parents were applying to college decades ago, they filled out a piece of paper and most likely, they were accepted  into their school of choice.  Nowadays, the top 70 universities in America received almost 1.5 million applications, and less than 500,000 were accepted.  That is only 30% of high school seniors accepted into highly selective schools.  What happens to the other 70% of students?   This fierce sense of competition and fear of being rejected is extremely hard to hear for students that have been working hard for their whole lives.  Many ask themselves the question, “What happens if I don’t get accepted into my college of choice?”  The good news is that everybody at Regina that wants to go to college gets accepted to one of the college or universities they applied to and the Student Services department ensures that students get into a college that is a good fit for them.  Seniors, take a deep breath!