Photo by Suhani Kamal

Calculus students in Mrs. Brewster’s class working hard on completing their assignments.

At high schools around the world, students study and work toward applying to a college, getting into one, getting a degree and afterwards getting a successful job. In the beginning, everyone thinks it will be easy, but as the grades get higher, the realization that there is more to applying to college than simply a request letter hits all students.
“When I was working on my UC applications, some days I would just be locked up in my room for hours trying to get some progress done,” said senior Shagun Kamboj, the president of Mission Hills marching band.
As Kamboj shared, working on applications requires lots of time, so it is essential to block out one’s schedule. Another important part of doing college applications is motivation. It’s vital to think about what lies ahead in the future rather than about the stress of the extensive workload currently on the plate that calls to be finished.
“Sometimes I would just get tired and would start losing motivation to continue the application, but then thinking about how it would be over soon if I put in my full effort in the moment; it would end with a nice result,” said senior Linnea Bourne, the captain of Mission Hills’ varsity dance team.
It is crucial to stay inspired to finish, as there will definitely be moments where things might seem so hard; that is where the desire to stop occurs. The process of doing college applications doesn’t end after submitting them however, but afterwards it can be a busy time of both relief and stress.
“Although it was definitely relieving to turn in all my applications, I think I’m even more stressed now because of the wait to know whether I got into the colleges or not,” said Kamboj.
Kamboj is far from being the only one who has this tense feeling after submitting her applications. Waiting for results leaves almost every student anxious because it will decide their future: what college they go to, if any. It is important to keep a positive mindset during this straining time and to enjoy the last days of high school left.
“I’m now focused on putting my full effort on dance and my classes—finally done with the applications. I’m nervous, but I know that whatever the result be, I did my best,” said Bourne.