Applying to college is potentially the most stressful time in a high school student’s career. For many seniors all across the globe, college will be their first major life decision. As a fellow senior, I can empathize with the stress of crafting the perfect essay, fitting a college’s image of diversity, and making a mind-blowing resume. I wanted to see if my fellow seniors had any advice for students who are antsy about the college application process. Hopefully their advice will aid younger students for years to come.

Emily Schoffman (‘19) said, “Start early, and be organized. It’s stressful but don’t add on more stress. Find people that you can lean on for support. It’s a short time so put in as much effort as possible because once it’s over, it’s over.”

Marty Hild (‘19) offered similar advice. He said, “It’s better to start early than late, look at the questions your school is asking and start to think about them. Though some may be cheesy like, ‘what are your best qualities’ it’s still a good idea to think about it, even ask your friends so you feel less self centered writing about yourself. Even though we do go to Webb and we are prepared for this process, [for] our whole existence it’s still good to hear from a friend. The senior class of 2019 is undoubtedly one of the best Webb had seen. That’s because we stick together and help one another. Do the same, you give help to people during the process and you’ll revive it back! And always talk to your counselors if you need help.”

Izzy Martinez (‘19) said, “I think it’d be super important that students should be supportive of one another, but also understand that each person is different. Not everyone is applying to the same schools for different reasons, and people should not judge. Students also need to respect each other’s processes, like how fast we do apps or how we cope with stress. It should be emphasized to just let everyone focus and do their own thing!”

Although the application process is stressful, these students have echoed that no one is alone through the ups and downs of the entire situation.