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The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

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College applications: three students, three completely different experiences

It’s that time of year again; the time when seniors are preparing for one of the biggest events in their lives. I’m not talking about senior prom, I’m talking about the college application process. This is the time when SATs are completed, college visits are mostly done, and it’s time to decide where you want to spend the next few years of your life. Public schools, private universities, community colleges or maybe even a taking a year off, it’s a big decision to make and requires a lot of thought, effort, and for some people, stress.

When I was an underclassman, I thought applying to college was the same for everyone. I thought it was all about teacher recommendations, long applications that took weeks to finish, and difficult essays. I didn’t know that it was different for public and private universities. Then of course, there are the people being recruited by universities based on various achievements. Depending on where you apply, the application processes vary extremely. Just compare me (Anna Luskin) to two other Paly seniors, Larkin Elderon and Nathan Ford, with whom I talked to for this story.

Anna Luskin (me)

Let’s start with my story, which I think is the least stressful. My parents made it extremely clear to me that when I applied to college my only options were going to be the California State Universities or the University of California campuses. They didn’t want to spend $40,000 a year for a private university, when I could get an equal, or sometimes better, education in the California public university system. At first, I fought it. I complained that it wasn’t fair. But then I took a better look at the UCs and CSUs and I found a lot of programs and locations that I really loved. Staying in state had some definite advantages.

I applied to three CSUs: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Sacramento State, and San Francisco State. I applied to those three because they all had strong journalism programs. I discovered that the CSUs were more geared towards training for a career, while generally, the UCs have strong liberal arts programs and helped prepare you for graduate school. It is for that reason why I think I will attend a CSU. They have specific journalism majors, while the UCs only have communications or English as major choices.

So, my first application took about an hour. There weren’t any short answer questions or any essays either. Keep in mind, this fact is specific to the CSU application.

After the first application was complete, all I had to do was change the school name and major and then press submit as the information from my first application carried over to my second and third applications.

The UC application was similar in that I just had to list all the UCs I was going to apply to and then fill out one application for all of them. However, the UC application was a little longer because you needed to write one essay and two short answer questions. That took some time because I wanted my essays to be perfect; my parents and I edited them multiple times.

It’s mid-November, and I’m done with my applications; I submitted my UC application earlier this month and my CSU applications in October. They didn’t take over my life like I expected them to. Because I was only applying to public schools, the process was less time-consuming. I didn’t have to send out the short forms, get teacher recommendations, or fill out the transcript request form that private universities require.

Larkin Elderon

Unlike me, senior Larkin Elderon decided to apply to private East Coast schools and a few UCs. She has already applied to an East Coast school for early decision, and will find out about her acceptance by Dec. 15.

All of Elderon’s applications, aside from the UC application, can be submitted using the common application. The common application is an application that follows a general form that many universities agree to use. The common application consists of three pages of questions and one essay. Many colleges also require a supplement.

“My common essay is done, but most of them have supplements, which
aren’t done,” Elderon said.

Writing the essay, she said, was the hardest part because it was difficult to get the essay exactly the way she wanted. “I procrastinated more than I thought,” she said. “I kept on thinking the essay would get better.”

Elderon wrote many essays, writing her first draft as early as last summer, but in the end she was only able to pick one of her essays to send out.

“You just have to write about something that you care about, not thinking about college. That’s my philosophy,” Elderon said. “When I read over my essays, the one that I liked the best was the one I wrote for me. Try not to worry about what they will think of you.”

Even though she has finished her essay and sent out her early admission form, she still has a lot to do. Her last application isn’t due until Jan. 15.

“It’s not winding down,” she said. “I still have all my apps except my early admit.”

Because she already applied early to one university, and it is the one university she wants to attend the most, she said it is harder for her to motivate herself to spend time on applications that aren’t at the top of her list.

“It’s a challenge to find safety schools you want to go to,” she said. “Early decision is a great excuse to procrastinate, but if you don’t get in, your winter break is consumed. Don’t procrastinate.”

Nathan Ford

Also a senior, Nathan Ford is the star quarterback of Paly’s varsity football team. Ford also happens to be a very good student. Ivy League universities are currently recruiting him for his scholastic and athletic accomplishments.

“With the Ivies, the recruiting process there allows them to put recruits in various bands based on their academic achievements,” Ford said. “Then those players will get ‘likely letters’ which basically ensures them getting in.”

Even though he is potentially receiving scholarships from the Division I level, Ford still has to complete the same applications/supplements as the rest of the students applying. The advantage Ford gets, however, is that the football offices get to look over his application as well and potentially have a part in his admittance.

“I have to do the same application as regular students, but for most schools I am applying to, the football office will support my application,” Ford said.

Even though Ford is applying to many universities, he hasn’t committed himself to any yet because he doesn’t have a first choice.
“At this point I really don’t have a first choice,” Ford said. “I’m just waiting to see how things work out. Signing day is Feb. 4 and that is when I will have to commit.”

So while I’m done with my applications, many students still have a lot more work to do. I’m not saying you should apply to public universities to take the easy way out. I’m saying you just need to decide what your priorities are and decide what you really want to do, so you can put the time and effort necessary into your choice school. There are many different routes you could take in the next couple of years, just make sure the one you choose is the right one for you.

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