Every year, a new round of seniors prepares to submit their college applications to numerous schools across the country. Every college has its own standards, which can make it tough for students to get all the information they need for each application. The looming question is — are Park’s seniors ready to submit their applications?
Senior Adam Rosvold said he sees most students getting stuck on the essays, like himself, because they’re the hardest to start. He said he hasn’t got any help on questions about scholarships and activities.
“(On the) essay, people know how to start. Me personally, I’m having trouble starting my own essay, finding ways to make it not repeat things over and over again,” Rosvold said. “(I) haven’t got any more help with overall questions about scholarships and activities and how to put them into your Common App.”
Senior Charlie Rostal said the essays are the biggest struggle mainly because it’s hard to get started when there isn’t a set topic.
“I need more help with writing the essay. There’s not a set thing you need to do,” Rostal said. “It’s just confusing and it’s easy to get lost.”
Senior counselor Heidi Cosgrove said one issue students face is keeping their voice throughout the application process, and not losing it to college coaches or parents.
“I would love for seniors to be able to own and appreciate their voice. For them, finding their own voice in this is huge because, talking to some seniors, it often starts with ‘well, my family, my college coach, my friend,’ and my biggest worry in this is students losing their voice in this process,” Cosgrove said. “Their voice, their meaning, what are they looking for? What questions do they have? Having more internal belief in themselves is probably the biggest thing I personally worry about.”
Rostal said another struggle for seniors is simply getting started. According to him, the application as a whole is what’s most daunting.
“(Seniors) get stuck with starting the application process because it seems so big and it seems like a hard thing to do,” Rostal said. “It’s just really hard to start.”
Cosgrove said teachers are helping students navigate the website Naviance, where they can find information about post-secondary options.
“The Naviance program that students have had since middle school (is a helpful resource),” Cosgrove said. “I call it a one-stop-shop of looking at career interest inventories, personality inventories, building resumes (and) college searches.”
Rosvold said counselors have helped with applications by coming into classes to help guide students into the next steps of college applications.
“Ms. Cosgrove coming into our classes and letting us know that we need to get into the Common App and Naviance and connect them both (was helpful),” Rosvold said. “(It helps you with) letters of recommendation, essays and putting in your grades through the Common App help to find the colleges that you need.”
Cosgrove said no matter where seniors are in the process, they’re okay and shouldn’t worry about being behind or not.
“One of the things that I hope seniors are not feeling, but I’m sure they are, is ‘I should be here, I should be here in the process. This is where I should be because everybody else is,’” Cosgrove said. “The biggest thing I want students to know is where you are at is fine.”
