As the second semester begins, students are preparing for the 2025-2026 academic year. Senior year can be stressful with FAFSA, college applications, and scholarship deadlines. With college applications being an important next step for current juniors, here are some recommendations.
Before applying for colleges, students must research if a school they’re interested in has their major or educational interest. If unsure on what they want to pursue, they have an option to go undecided. A deciding factor may be the success rate of the program they are going into.
Senior Tatum Allen believes that students should “consider the tuition and other costly factors” before making a decision.
Students should also visit college campuses that they are looking into because the environment will matter. Typically, students also care a lot about their dorm rooms because that’s where they will be spending most of their time.
Senior Natalie Eddinger thinks that “I feel touring campuses and finding a place that you feel is home is important!”
Another tip for college applications is to include extracurriculars, work experience, GPA, and classes taken in high school.
The last important aspect of college applications is being sure to include letters of recommendation. A letter of recommendation is a document written by someone who has seen a student’s talent and recognized their skills. A good recommender will write about these qualities and make a student appear to be trustworthy and worth being admitted to that school.
Students must ask their recommenders with respect and choose their recommenders wisely in order to achieve an acceptable letter that will benefit them.
It also may be an advantage to turn in applications early so students have time to decide and/or handle roommate situations that might arise.
Counselor Jeffrey Gale’s advice is to “Start early and stay organized. You will want to work in advance to secure letters of recommendations from teachers who can speak best to your abilities. Also be sure to personalize your application materials. They see so many essays on winning the big game, or a difficult homework assignment. Tell your story in a way that sets you apart, shows independent thinking and leaves a positive impression.”
Students should consider these key factors when applying for colleges.
