DVC Seniors: Knee Deep in College Applications

The first semester for the senior class of 2022 has been chaotic as they have been feeling overwhelming bundles of emotions during the process of completing their college applications.

 

The DVC senior class has benefitted from its College and Career Readiness class along with a new college counselor because they have been aiding students through the process of applying to the schools they aspire to attend.

 

The College and Career Readiness teacher, Christopher Jackson, and College Counselor, Monique Aldrete, have supported the seniors by making sure they get their work done so they can be successful. 

 

Both Jackson and Aldrete have read over senior Leila Bradford’s personal statements, helped with revisions, and helped to confirm everything is in order before she submits her applications.

 

“It’s been difficult because I didn’t know what I was doing at first but when I got the hang of it, it started to get easier,” said Bradford. 

 

Students have been working efficiently to make sure they meet all the deadlines for their schools. Senior Tyler Parker expressed feeling accomplished after he submitted his UC applications and completed his personal insight questions.  

 

“I worked hard on those for months and it just felt really like a weight just got lifted off my back because it’s like, wow, I just submitted  a whole bunch of applications,” said Parker.

 

College applications have brought stress and anxiousness to many of the seniors, but they have been working through the semester by applying within their deadlines. Senior David Saddler applied early action to one of his top choices, The University of Oregon. 

 

“Did I do all the right stuff? Am I gonna get in? It’s a very nerve racking and scary feeling when I submitted to Oregon but when I pressed submit, I finally felt like I got something off my chest,” said Saddler. 

 

Senior Priscilla Amaral got accepted into all of the out of state schools she has applied to so far, which are University of Arizona, Arizona State University, University of Oregon, and Oregon State University. 

 

“It feels like all my hard work has paid off,” said Amaral. This has been a confidence booster for her to stay positive about being accepted into the other colleges she applied to.

 

Students have found that moving out of state to college comes with many additional expenses. Amaral shared that she is scared to attend college out of state because the tuition is higher, but The University of Arizona and The University of Oregon have offered her scholarships to attend their school. 

 

“Most have been merit scholarships, so based on my grade point average, I’ve been offered around 80 to $100,000,” said Amaral.

 

Class of 2022 is approaching the reality of adulthood and will begin to make decisions for themselves after they graduate from high school. They will soon venture out into the world, leave their families behind, and overall become independent. 

 

“I’m going to be my own person, have my own car, my own place, and I’m overall going to be what I dreamed of being when I get out the house,” said Amaral. Graduating is going to be an emotional transition for seniors because change can be difficult to adapt to, but it’s a part of life. After high school, they will be moving onto bigger and better things.

 

 “I feel like this new chapter in my life is going to just take this time for myself, to find who I am, and to find what I really want to be in life,” said Parker.