The months of October to December can be some of the most stressful times for high school seniors as they apply to college. Summing up four years of high school into a few pages can be daunting as well as time-consuming.
Eva Jolly (12) uses her time wisely during the college application season.
“I balance college applications, schoolwork and hanging out with my friends by completing the college applications in class if I have time or doing them for 30 minutes a day,” Jolly said.
Students can either apply to colleges using the Common Application and other similar services or apply directly to a college through their website. Filling out the standard application on Common Application applies to each school put on the list, but each college has specific questions or essays you need to answer. The popular ‘Why Us?’ supplemental essay allows admission counselors to get to know how that school would benefit the student and how the student would benefit the school.
Cameron Lee (12) has found the college application process to be easier than expected.
“I do not use the Common App to apply. Rather, I must apply directly to Spartanburg Community College, the institution I am set on attending. They do not require a supplemental essay or SAT/ACT scores, which I find very helpful,” Lee said.
Many students struggle with deciding whether to attend school in-state or out-of-state. There are many opportunities South Carolina institutions offer such as scholarships and transferrable college credits from high school. One way that South Carolina residents can receive support is through state-funded financial aid. These scholarships are broken into categories such as SC Hope, Life and Palmetto Fellows. As an example, the LIFE scholarship awards South Carolina students $5,000 per year if students earn two out of the three requirements: 3.0 GPA, 1100 SAT/24 ACT, or rank in the top 30% of their class.
Piper Holmes is the Co-Director of Guidance at Spartanburg High School.
“I wish all students knew that postsecondary options are available for everyone. College is not just for those who are at the top of the class or for those whose families have the money to pay tuition. Students can receive grants that do not have to be paid back by filling out the FAFSA,” Holmes said.
Dual Enrollment classes taken at Spartanburg High are only transferable to South Carolina institutions. By getting these college credits out of the way, students can save money on college. AP classes can be transferable to most institutions in the country, depending on the score and if that college accepts it. Students can learn more about scholarships and college credit on the guidance website at https://sites.google.com/view/shs-school-counseling/home.
There was a college fair on October 16, but if Vikings missed out, there is no need to worry since there will be another college and career fair in November. There will also be a college and career fair for juniors in the spring.
Co-Director of Guidance Matthew Love believes student preparation can expedite the college application process.
“The college application process is not as hard as many think it is. I believe that many students are intimidated by the thought of applying to college, but the process has been made so much easier with many schools using online applications,” Love said.
