Moving Up the Ladder of Life – Senior College Applications

Olivia Fields, Staff Writer

In the hallways you’ll hear, the question every senior has been asked since they walk through the doors of AHS for the first time; “Where are you going to college? Have you applied anywhere? OMG! Have you been accepted yet?” 

It is a human tendency to overthink, morphing small problems into immovable barriers. What we end up discovering is a hill made up to be a mountain. Snyder said, “It was pretty easy. People make it out to be more stressful than it is. You just have to have everything in the order that it’s needed.” The process of applying to college can be hard for some people, but it can also be a relief. You’re preparing to leave the school you’ve spent the last 4 years crafting friendships and ideals. Aidan Mowery, a senior who was recently accepted and has committed to Furman University in South Carolina, said, “I was glad to finally have the decision made. Careful attention to the present will allow my future to be more easily adaptable.” 

For current seniors, the thought of applying for college applications can be unnerving, but not for the reason most would think. Mckinzy Snyder, a senior who you’ve most definitely seen working in the office and who’s been accepted to Berry College, said, “I am more stressed than I thought I’d be, just trying to get my affairs in order. But it’s reassuring because I know that I’m moving into a new chapter of my life.” 

Before applying to college, you have to decide where and what you want to study. Snyder has known since she was 5 years old that she wanted to be a veterinarian. She said, “My first choice was Berry. I was interested in their pre-veterinary course, and their veterinary program is very successful.” Beyond the courses, it is also important to consider the environment. Cassidy Batson, a senior recently accepted to Shorter University, said, “I look for a community that’s not too big and not too small. In my opinion, if a university is really big no one knows each other, and you get less communication with the teachers because they have so many students.” 

For seniors, there is something bittersweet about planning for the future, and preparing yourself to leave the place you’ve occupied, and many have dreamed about. Mrs. Floyd, who has been preparing seniors for the world for 20 years, said, “It is important to look at it not as a farewell but a moving up, a promotion. Being accepted to college is something to be celebrated, not lamented.” To the upcoming juniors of 2023-24, the departing Class of 2023 offers this advice. Batson said, “Definitely do your research before applying. Look into their programs and make sure that it’s the right fit for you.” Mowery said, “I would advise Juniors to define a clear list of priorities when it comes to colleges, and gauge how each college they are interested in fulfills those priorities.” Snyder said, “Do it early! Get everything done as soon as possible.”

Juniors are often motivated by the impending department of seniors to begin their ventures. Emalee Collins, a junior, said, “I’ll start working on my essays and applications this summer, and I plan on doing plenty of early applications at the beginning of my senior year.” Now that end of the school year is arriving, everyone is climbing up the ladder of life and accomplishing greater things.