As many teens advance towards their senior year, the college application is one of the biggest things that every student has concerns about.

Going to a college or a university is crucial for anyone that is trying to have a long sustainable future with no financial insecurity.  It can be very intimidating for most students, especially those who were not ready for it or are applying at the close deadline dates.

The college process in whole, however, is not that difficult. There may come issues along the way, but it mostly consists of putting in academic information and filling digital forms.

I will be sharing my college process experience during my senior year and tell its overall complexity, which is simpler than you think, and as well as give advice on how to be more well prepared for your college application journey.          

Unlike some students who were well ready for their application, I started mine later in fall during my senior year. A lot of students in school were also starting their application late rather than during the summer, which was because many students and I did not take it seriously before our senior year.

Throughout the fall I procrastinated and didn’t even start my CUNYfirst application until December. That is one of the big reasons as to why many students would feel overwhelmed when they are starting their application, and the more they leave it out and not finish it, the more stressed and difficult it becomes for them. I was in a similar situation as well, but with the help of my friends I was able to finish my CUNYfirst application much more efficiently.  

My friends gave me some information and advice regarding my college application (CUNYfirst) and what I could do in order to get ahead as well as what important documentation that I need to bring in. Having friends that support you is important if you want to get ahead and be more prepared for college, since doing everything by yourself without having full understanding can be intimidating at first.

While I was completing my digital application, I encountered many issues with the CUNYfirst website which slowed down my progress. Some students might relate with this as the websites for college applications like CUNYfirst can be quite annoying when facing bugs and glitches. Nonetheless I eventually resolved the issues within the website with the help of the college office within my school, which I would say had the most impact in helping me throughout my application progress. With all that I was eventually able to complete and send my application, but it was done step by step when completing a college application, which is why starting as early as possible is the best way to start an application with confidence. 

A college application is a simple and easy process that just takes quite some time to complete. The process mainly includes filling in personal and parental information, financial information, supporting materials from your academics and an essay that is given most of the time. Most of what I have included is simple to put in with the exception of taking some time to get the best supporting materials, so that you stand out from other students that are going to college. Having a really good GPA or score on a test (like SAT or AP Exams) will greatly impact your application along the way, which it is important to include as much information as possible to get ahead. However, the essay part is what makes it so tedious. 

A prompt asks about what your passion is, what sacrifices you made, or what makes you different from others. These question prompts sound too simple and dull for an essay that requires around more than 500+ words. Starting a draft for a college essay is a good start, especially during summer break.

However, if you have already started your school semester, then any other semester breaks should be used for finishing your college essay. You shouldn’t tire yourself from stressing out too much on the essay part, as long as you add in sentences and paragraphs from time to time, you should have an essay ready before the application deadline. 

Overall, that is what the whole process would look like- well, in most parts of it. Some will have different experiences with their applications, whether they get burnt out with it or have it completed without any complications.

It is important to have it start out already before the end of high school, especially for any juniors that are entering their senior year, as it is going to give you a head start.  It shouldn’t be too complicated to complete but if it does seem so, know that you still have time to finish it whether it is during a break or a weekend; as well as friends and school staff that would help you out along the way.