Madelyn Wong

(From left to right) Maria Sullivan, Xandra Wiegand, and Caroline Robinson panic as applications fall from the heavens.

Whether they are for college, military, or full-time jobs, applications carry an infamous reputation. To see how that reputation impacts our students, PatriotPages hit the hallways. In an informal survey of 64 seniors, two questions were asked: (1) Have you started on your applications yet (college, military, job, etc.), and (2) On a scale of 1-10 (1 being completely confident and 10 being totally stressed out), how do you feel about the application process?

Over a third of seniors reported that they hadn’t started applications. In response to the second question, answers varied— responses included 10000, the infinity symbol, and “oh snap.” Despite these jokes (that I counted as 10s), the average settled on six. Six was also the most often occurring response.

Of course, this score does not apply for everyone. Xandra Wiegand, who answered on the optimistic side of the spectrum, cited academics as the reason for her . “When I know my grades and I know my ACT, I know I’m keeping myself stable when it comes to academics. [I try not to stress] because I know colleges look for people who can exceed expectations.”

But sometimes academics is no longer the drive behind your acceptance. While several seniors mentioned grades and test scores, those aspects were far outnumbered by frustrations such as essays, interviews, and recommendation letters.This was particularly true among those who were applying for military or jobs. Experience, communication, and the way one presents themselves tends to rank over academics when it comes to real-world applications.

Mrs. Sheila Roberts, the school’s resident College and Career Counselor and application guru, offers a bit of wisdom: sometimes stress—not sleep-deprived anxiety—is a good thing. “The kind of stress that makes the student aware of duties and obligations and they are intent on completing those appropriately. […] I guess I would call it more ‘focus.’”

So seniors, even as you scramble to collect all your materials for applications, just remember to keep your focus!

(Or you can panic. Whatever works.)