Do you know how to apply to college? It’s okay neither do we.
October 21, 2019
For seniors, fall is extremely stressful. They’re trying to keep their grades up, live up every senior moment, and most importantly apply to college before the strict deadline of Nov. 1 approaches. Unless, of course, students do not want to be considered for scholarships they can wait until around January to submit their college applications, but who doesn’t want free money?
The pressure is on and time is running out, but do our students even know how to apply? If so, do they have all the skills it takes to finish these rigorous applications?
For a large group of students, the answer is “no” because we were never walked through how to fill out a college application and what is needed when doing so. We did sit through a 30 minute presentation at the beginning of the school year, but it was not enough. The information was thrown at us extremely fast not giving us the chance to comprehend everything that needs to be done.
Seniors should be given time at school (during the school day) to apply to colleges with counselors on hand to aid with any questions that may come up. Even if some seniors may go through the application process without a hiccup, it doesn’t mean they know everything that is needed even after their application is sent.
Students need to know that their transcripts and test scores have to be sent and they need to know how to send them. Naviance is not easy to navigate and it is wonky and inconsistent when it comes to searching for colleges to send transcripts to, not to mention, every college has their own individual requirements.
Students can’t do what they don’t know they have to do!
The beginning of the school year can be stressful for seniors because of applications to college, but with a little help applying, things could go a lot smoother in Charger Country.
So counselors? Teachers? Administrators? Someone. Help us before we miss out.
Allison Makowski • Oct 22, 2019 at 7:56 am
As a School Counselor, we meet with our seniors as a group and individually, and explain the process. I even actually go to a college website and show students where it says “apply here” and the application then takes you through the process. We want our students to try first and then ask if they get stuck. If a student really feels like they are stuck, they need to communicate that to us. We understand that it is a cumbersome process and there is a lot involved with the college application process, but let us know and we will help. We are not going to fill the applications out for you, but we certainly will let you know where to go and then answer additional questions you may have. So to answer the question:
So counselors? Teachers? Administrators? Someone. Help us before we miss out.
Send us an e-mail or write us a note and we will help you.