The story was written by Ryan Xiao
“I knew [college applications] would come eventually–and now it’s senior year, and we’re [at the] submitting deadlines–but I honestly do feel ready for this new chapter of our lives,” Baruch College Campus High School senior Ashley Saltl said.
Applying to college is a rigorous process, but seniors at Baruch College Campus High School say they feel somewhat ready for application challenges because of support from peers and their school.
“My guidance counselor has helped me a lot with confidence. If it wasn’t because of her, I would’ve been more nervous,” Rosangely Alvarez said. “And also my siblings, they’ve prepared me for what I’m gonna go through.”
Saltl agrees and says she’s been surrounded by support.
“It’s always been talked about for me by my family, friends, and also outside people because I take a lot of extracurriculars such as Girl Scouts, and they also prepare me for that,” Saltl said.
But students also say there’s room for improvement in support for college applications. They feel that preparations for applications should have started earlier.
“In our junior year, college wasn’t talked about because [they made it seem] like no pressure but it is a really big year,” Anabel Suriel said. “[Students] all need support, they all need as much help as they can get. Students shouldn’t have to feel like they’re struggling their junior year.”
Adriana Seminario says she’s felt stressed since junior year and has mixed feelings about college in general.
Students also face issues concerning counselors. Alvarez says counselors appear to favor certain students, which is damaging to others.
“I feel like it’s just a communication thing where sometimes they forget about certain students and prioritize others,” Sultl said.
Saltl suggests that counselors should be “Setting the time for each student to actually meet their counselor one on one [to discuss] what colleges you’re applying to and what your circumstances are.”
Amaya Trotman says that although college advisors are helpful for the application process, she feels she has had to rely on herself because of their lack of availability.
These issues of leniency towards certain students and unavailability of counselors, as well as the lack of support in earlier years hinder students’ confidence in the college application process. But despite the nervousness surrounding applications, some students persevere and say they feel somewhat prepared.
“I’m a very confident person, especially in academics. I take pride in making sure that I’m prepared,” Suriel said.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.