Every September at Centennial, the talk of college applications brings dread to senior students. With some application deadlines as early as October 5th, stress starts to consume the senior student body as they take one step closer to the next chapter in their lives. But according to our school’s counselors, the process doesn’t have to be overwhelming if students know how to approach it.
Counselors Irene Khaksari, Tracy Jones, and Ellen Mauser have over 40 years of combined experience working in the Howard County school system and have guided thousands of students through the application process. Each year, they see seniors picking colleges based only on name recognition or where their friends are applying.
“One of my challenges [given] to students is to come back with at least three schools they’ve never heard of before,” states Jones. She encourages students to research beyond the handful of universities because there are thousands of options across the country.
Students often fall into the trap of believing there is just one right way forward, but as the counselors explained, the truth is far more flexible.
“A lot of our students feel pressure to follow their friends to the same schools,” Khaksari affirms. “We see transfers later because they realize, ‘This campus is way too big,’ or, ‘This isn’t my style.’ It’s okay to be different.”
That being said, finding the right school isn’t the whole journey. Khaksari emphasizes the importance of staying on top of work.
“Constantly be aware of your deadlines. That’s 100% the number one thing.” She and Mauser both note that many problems arise not from the applications themselves, but from waiting too long to ask for help.
If students are unsure whether or not they are falling behind or find they need a checklist on what to do, keeping up with emails and checklists found in the Canvas inbox sent by the counselors can be helpful. These materials are designed to guide seniors through every stage of the application process.
Mauser adds that part of the problem is the timing of the application process. “Sometimes kids aren’t really making those decisions until they’re on top of it… If they figure out earlier that they need smaller class sizes, or that they want a certain type of campus, it helps them narrow down their choices before senior year.”
Khaksari and the other counselors stress that waiting until deadlines loom only adds to the pressure. However, that stress doesn’t mean students are doing something wrong.
“Stress itself isn’t always terrible,” Khaksari explains. “A little bit of stress can be motivating. But when you feel overwhelmed, it usually comes down to lack of preparation or fear of the unknown.”
Her advice: break the process into smaller steps and always include at least one “safety” school that would be apt for you.
If there are mixed feelings worried about upcoming application results, don’t stress out! It’s normal to feel anxious, but Khaksari gives a reassuring statement.“I’ve been doing this for 20 years,” she says, “and I have yet to meet a student who wasn’t accepted to at least one of the schools they wanted to go to.”
Along with the academics, finances are also crucial to the application process. Families may be unsure how much they can realistically afford, which can affect the schools you will attend. Jones shares that many parents wait to have that conversation until after decisions arrive, but that can make things more difficult.
Counselors encourage students to ask questions about costs and scholarships early, even negotiating with colleges for more aid. “They are oftentimes more willing to work with you than they have been in the last decade,” Jones notes.
If you need any financial assistance, Lynn DeVore, who works in Student Services at Centennial, can be a huge help. She specializes in helping students find scholarship opportunities, which can be beneficial in affording the cost of college.
Even with all this talk of applications, the counselors want students to remember something else: college is not the only path.
“We actually know that not all students want to go to college, or feel like they are ‘called to’ go to college,” Mauser notes. College may seem like the traditional path at Centennial, but graduates can pursue all kinds of careers, technical training, or community college before transferring later. What matters most is choosing a path that matches the individual, not what others expect.
Khaksari puts it best: “The biggest mistake is thinking there’s only one right way to do this. There isn’t. Your journey is your own.”
