College Applications: A True Enigma

Whoever said senior year is “easy” and “fun” flat out lied because they conveniently forgot to mention the untamable beasts that are college applications. Decide what you want to major in, find the best schools for that major, and fill out applications; sounds easy right? Wrong. There are also letters of recommendation, standardized tests, fee waivers, more standardized tests, different types of applications, financial aid requests, the list of extra factors is miles long! Students who do not have older siblings that already went through this perplexing process have to decipher many of these things alone, with the help of equally confused parents.  Luckily, there are guidance counselors to help students and parents get through the college whirlwind.

Personally, my college application process has been pretty stressful, but not at the fault of anyone. Doing something for the first time, especially something as important as applying to college is bound to be hectic if you don’t have the guidance of someone who’s been through it before. During this time, my older friends who are already in college have been very helpful in offering insight and reassurance. The most important thing to remember is to not beat yourself up too much. College applications aren’t as daunting as they may seem! Seeing your guidance counselor for advice and information helps too because the college process isn’t something you can do on your own.

Through discussion with my peers, I’ve received a wide variety of opinions on the effectiveness of guidance counselors for seniors applying to college. Some students are extremely pleased with the ways their counselors have helped them. Others are neutral or indifferent. Interestingly, a few are dissatisfied. Despite the very mixed reactions I received from asking students about what kind of job they and their parents feel their counselors are doing, one thing’s for certain: the counselor-student relationship is the definition of a two way street. You absolutely need to make an effort to expect effort in return.