As the snow melts on campus and snow days run out, we transition into the “unanimous” best season of the year: spring.
Apart from the cherry blossoms, it is also the season when seniors find out perhaps the biggest result in their early lives. With the so-called “Ivy Day” results out, most seniors have received all of their early decision (ED) or regular decision (RD) acceptances. After almost 2 years of college preparation and application, with college counseling beginning in the middle of junior year, the “torture” of college application has finally come to an end. Whether they were accepted to their dream universities or not, it’s an everlasting experience that will become memories for all the seniors. Although many consider university applications a result-based process, there are still many things that the near-graduating seniors have learned throughout the process. These experiences are distilled into suggestions that could help lower-class students embark on their college admissions journey. Even though lower-class students could find college tutors outside of school for applications, the first-hand experience as a George School student is invaluable and would certainly benefit the lower-class students.
Image depicting colorful notes displaying different university choices, representing students’ college picks and future plans (Photo Credit: Harrison Yang ’29)
Before hearing some experiences and advice from the seniors, I interviewed sophomore and junior students about their concerns and uncertainties as they begin their college applications in the upcoming year. GS sophomore Joseph Bian ’28 told us that college preparation has been “constantly reminding” him. “Whether it was applying for the SEASU position or research papers I wrote outside of school, I felt obligated to consider the benefit for college applications.”
He told his struggles of balancing where his passion is and the “need to do” activities that seem “good” for college. This is also a huge challenge for junior Vishnu Anand ’27, who is on the verge of college applications. “I have a wide range of hobbies and interests that I would like to pursue. However, the online suggested college admission requirements have limited my options for activities.” When asked about their main worries regarding college preparation and the application process, Joseph says, “I have fewer worries about university results because I don’t have a dream school, but I am confused and really would like to know the essay side of applications.” Joseph, despite being a passionate reader and writer of literature, did not particularly enjoy the dull essays when applying for multiple summer programs. “I hate the repetitive nature of application essays where I cannot clearly demonstrate my interests. ” With concerns regarding essays, he would like to ask about seniors’ experiences. “Was the essay process boring and constantly taking a toll on you? How did you cope with it? How can you illustrate your passions in essays?” On the other hand, feeling the pressure from family members, social media, and peers, Vishnu is primarily worried about his preparation for the application process. “I constantly feel like I have not done enough to be accepted by a good college.”
Vishnu said that his main source of stress was social media. “I feel like social media projected my stress regarding college. I see people getting 1600 on SATs and impressive extracurriculars.” Trying to find a response that could help him, Vishnu prepared some questions, such as, “Have you ever felt you are not prepared enough for the application process? What exactly was it, and how did you overcome it?” for the seniors who have just finished the process.
Image depicting a quote in front of the door on a college counseling office (Photo Credit: Harrison Yang)
After seeing some of the struggles and confusions lower-class men have faced, we turn to the class of 2026, whose students are the most relaxed, maybe even too relaxed, with the end of the admission process. Besides the result of the process, the seniors have gained much experience in the logistics of applications through setbacks and mistakes. Hoping lower-class men can be more informed about the process that every student goes through, I was able to interview some seniors to share their personal experiences and advice for lower-classmen. Starting with the question that most underclassmen wonder: What is the most stressful part of applying to college? Mira Abu Tahoun ’26, who is planning on committing to Georgia Tech, believes that “making sure to get all the essays done on time” is stressful since “knowing that these essays are the ones that can distinguish you” leads to “spending a big chunk of time thinking about how to stand out and write the essay that truly reflects you.” On the other hand, Northwestern commit Dalton Guan ’26 did not enjoy standardized testing, as he felt “a bomb countdown surrounded his life” when he did not achieve his target SAT score. When asked about the most surprising aspect of the application process, Mira underestimated the stress of applying to numerous schools and waiting for decisions, but was also grateful for the experience of “wrapping up her last 18 years in a bow after reflecting so much and writing about her life. ” Dalton was surprised about the admissions of his friends, as he “did not understand [how] they did not get into Ivies/T20s with good grades.” When asked what they would have done differently, both Mira and Dalton hoped they could have started their college essays during the summer when they had the most time, with them saying, “Time flies by and deadlines approach soon.” As far as their advice for juniors, both emphasized starting soon, with Dalton suggesting juniors aim for and achieve a 1500+ on the SAT. In contrast, Mira hoped that juniors could narrow down their interests and start extracurriculars as soon as possible. Similar to their advice for juniors, Dalton stated that sophomores should “lock in on your GPA and make meaningful relationships with your teachers,” while Mira would suggest that sophomores determine a major that they would want to pursue. However, it is important to keep in mind that it is an individual decision to choose a college. Different people would suit different colleges, which is why school research plays a vital part in the final decision.
Image depicting the Class of 2026 decision board to what college they are heading to (Photo Credit: Harrison Yang)
After the general questions that most underclassmen were concerned and struggling with
We asked the questions that sophomore Joseph and junior Vishnu posed. Mira, who responded to Joseph’s questions about essays, acknowledged that some essays are “so boring and sometimes repetitive,” but “there are also some interesting prompts!” Her solution to overcoming the tedious writing process is to “write something you enjoy first, then move to the boring ones,” which she said helped her “increase her efficiency.” Responding to Vishnu’s concern about not being prepared enough, Dalton resonated with the feeling as he said, “I sometimes even felt like I couldn’t get into any colleges!” In turn, Dalton constantly felt like he was forgetting important information and that his “brain is a constant spinner.” To combat this issue, he recommends everyone who has experienced similar struggles to “create a giant spreadsheet and lay out all the obligations. ” Dalton acknowledges, “The plan may sound ‘clichéd,’ but it truly changed my application process for the best.”
As seniors count their final days as George School students, the juniors, AKA rising seniors, will walk the old path walked decades upon decades by previous seniors of applying to universities. The most important thing about this process is not to ACE the preparation but to experience it yourself, truthfully. A good preparation is not defined by its result, but a good result certainly requires good preparation. So,
EMBRACE IT.
