“Common app, early action, letter of recommendations” — words seniors, including myself, have constantly been hearing from our teachers and peers. The number of essays required for each college application accumulates, compelling students to spend hours clicking away at their keyboards. On top of scheduling meetings with our counselor, we have surveys in Naviance to do, and, most notably, the common app 650-word personal statement document tab continually stares at us. The stresses of senior year weren’t a surprise, as we have been preparing for it ever since the end of junior year, but as we have entered the heat of the college application process, how are seniors actually feeling about their essays?
Being a senior is scary because it seems you are standing on the brink of adulthood and off into the new world of college — an environment drastically different from the high school hallways we are used to. The process of getting into college first, however, is a whole other stepping stone we have to jump over first, and the application process is a lot. One of the most important parts of our college applications is the common app personal statement essay, which constantly weighs on our shoulders, as we dig into our minds trying to find the perfect words to use that could determine our future.
However, the Centennial English Department does a good job of providing support for the students, including in-class time dedicated to their college essays. The senior English classes ensure that students are working on their essays, oftentimes making it an assignment itself so that students can receive feedback from their teachers. I think that it can make this stressful process a less nerve-wracking experience, as it brings comfort to the students knowing that they can get help with their writing. The interactive workshop conducted by English teachers also creates an environment for seniors to receive feedback and edits on their essays, providing them with a valuable opportunity to have more people review their work.
Centennial senior Joy Chen shares her thoughts: “Overall, writing my Common App essay has been a lot for me, and it is hard to write only a 650-word essay that can affect my future. I work on it every day, but there is always something I can improve on”. Chen also states that writing her essay has been “one of the hardest things she has ever had to do”.
Centennial senior Jiwon Kim commented that “the college application process has definitely been a journey”, mentioning, “The November 1 deadline is coming up so soon, there is just so much I have to write with so little time”. But she highlights that her “stress levels will be a lot less during the spring semester”.
Throughout these stressful times, it is important for the class of 2025 to remember that you will end up where you are meant to be. Worrying that your work will never be good enough is futile because in the end it is your work and unique story, and that is special. There will always be aspects of your essay that you can improve, but what matters most is your confidence in it and your belief that you did the best you possibly could. Your essay communicates to the college admissions officers who you truly are — a strength that no one else can replicate.
bu/tk
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