Congratulations to the seniors who have already received their college acceptances and those still waiting for their results, I wish you the best of luck! 

With this being said, I’ve asked some seniors in our grade to share their experiences with the college process. I asked these seniors roughly the same questions, such as what they wished they had known before the college process, advice, and overall perspective on it. 

I asked one anonymous senior how the college process was for them. They responded by saying how this college process has been an eye-opening experience and gave them an opportunity to reevaluate how far they have come as a student. They believed that it’s also important to credit yourself and how important it is never to give up, stating that some rejections can make you feel less and that you just need to keep applying. 

Another senior, Megan Chen, said that the college process was scary and daunting. She was in a position where both her parents didn’t go to college and because of that, she looked for outside mentors and family friends for help. Additionally, Megan said “Don’t be afraid to ask for help!!”, emphasizing that it will make the college process a lot easier and also build future relationships and connections that could be useful in the future. Additionally, she stated that the college office at Millennium was also a great resource as they’re very supportive, welcoming, and reassuring that no question you have is dumb. Her other advice is to stay organized by having a planner or list, saying that it would keep track of deadlines and hold you accountable for things such as filling out the FAFSA form. She advised others to also make sure that they are taking care of themselves, even in times when you doubt yourself, as long as you’re trying your hardest, you’re doing amazing!

Similarly another anonymous senior also stated to prioritize your mental health. Their one piece of advice was that time management was crucial and to prioritize school and college applications. They also mentioned specifically the juniors to finish writing their common app essay over the summer. They also mentioned from personal experience that they finalized everything in two days, describing it as their biggest regret saying “stressing to do everything at once may give you that moment of satisfaction knowing you are finally done, but in the long run you are going to wish you got that extra few hours of sleep.”. 

Overall, when speaking to these seniors, they all encouraged to start the college essay early on rather than putting it on hold until the fall of your senior year. They also stated that taking your mental health into consideration while starting the college process is important. Remember that you’re doing amazing!