All high school students have their fair share of work and study. However, many seniors find themselves grappling with the stress and responsibility of college applications as well. Many of these students are feeling the pressure as deadlines approach.

As the school year starts, many seniors have placed their focus on admissions to universities across the country in preparation for higher level education this following year. The application process for many of these schools is lengthy but necessary to acceptance, and deadlines are coming up as soon as November 1^st.

“It takes a lot of time to make sure all of our essays and response questions are good enough,” senior Josh Weatherhead said. “I have to make sure it’s perfect before I send it in.”

Applications require everything from full length essays to short answer questions. Most of them also recommend or even require letters of recommendation to accompany submitted applications. These often come from teachers, employers, or community leaders. But, when asking for a letter of recommendation, students should include the appropriate letter of recommendation form from the front office and ask with appropriate notice.

“It’s really important that students fill that form out completely…and give teachers [at least a month’s] notice. Each letter takes at least a couple hours,” teacher Mrs. Parliament said. “We do it and then we think about them and go back and edit them. Each one is different.”

Some students seek a specific college from an early point in the application process. For many of these students, there remains an option to apply for early decision when applying. Applying for early decision comes at the expense of only being allowed to apply to that University in that way, but gives you a boost in admission outlook. Colleges that practice this include Yale, Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford.

“Applying early decision allows me a higher chance of getting in,” senior Emily Nguyen said. “Some schools get back to you right away, but…it also is restrictive.”

Applying to college can be a lot of pressure on seniors getting ready to graduate. But the excitement that comes with admission encourages many to push through the process and keep a positive outlook.

“It feels good because now my hard work feels validated,” senior Sarah Parr said. “It makes the process worth it.”