College App season is already in progress with the November 1 deadline recently ending! Let’s just say things this ‘season’ were a rollercoaster. Some students had an easy application process, while others, not so much. In general, students have been stressing over their application, spending hours perfecting essays, and second-guessing their chances of getting into a college.

Senior Grace Straffo shares her experience saying, “It was stressful, the common app made it easier but some colleges want more like SRARs and self-reported SAT scores which made me super confused. My guidance counselor has helped me a lot so that made the whole process easier.”

This said, College App season isn’t only stressful for students, guidance counselors have been on their toes too. Mrs. Bender says, “The college application process is undoubtedly an exciting time for students, as I believe that it’s a time that helps represent the culmination of their academic and extracurricular experiences. From a school counselor’s perspective, it can be very rewarding to help students realize that a goal as substantial as applying to, and ultimately receiving acceptance to a college is within reach. While the entire process can initially be perceived as new and complex, with help from the appropriate resources and professionals, a successful college application process can be achieved.”

Personally, this College App season has made me more of a workaholic than I ever was. These days it seems to me that all I do this fill out college writing questions, complain to my counselor, and stare at the Common App page with no clear direction in sight. However, I do not feel alone in this, thankfully, my close friend, Senior Rand Aljetawi also says, “It has been really difficult to balance out school with college apps especially since it is Senior year so you want to take it easy. It’s so hard to balance out school, college applications, and my personal life because It always seems that I’m too busy to hang out with friends. ”

College App season has put a lot of pressure on students especially those who have to figure this lengthy process all by themselves. Students who are first-generation college students, immigrants, and those who do not have a college counselor to help them one-on-one through the process have been trying their best to navigate this rollercoaster. International student, Ibrahim Makeoul, says his experience applying to schools was like “trying to escape a pereptual maze with a map you can’t understand. I felt that way because English is not my first language and I am a first-generation student.”

In general, most students have been feeling some degree of stress over College Apps, so if you are feeling overwhelmed and a total mess, just know you are not alone!