College transcripts and essays are underway this time of year at Highland Park High School. It is both a challenging and exciting period.

“I’m glad I did most everything in the summer because if I had to do it now it would really stink,” senior Calvin Kean said.

Some students do not find the work challenging, but still have problems with the process.

“They [applications] haven’t been difficult, just very time consuming,” senior Cole Bohner said.

Most students are still finishing applications. UT Austin and Texas A&M aren’t due until Dec. 1; University of Oklahoma is Dec. 15. A lot of people try to finish applications over the summer so they don’t have to worry about them during the year. For many, it can be just like having another class. Therefore, it’s generally recommended to at least start the process before school starts.

Early Action is normally in October. That is the process in which a student applies early and hears back sooner, but the applicant isn’t bound to the University if admission is granted.  

“I just wanted to find out sooner,” Kean said.

Early Action is the general rationale for students who want to find out their admittance status and totally understand their options. Most think more time means a better decision is made. Early Decision is the same as Early Action except that acceptance is binding if admitted. Unless a student has their heart set on a particular school, it is normally discouraged.

“I actually do enjoy writing the essays a little bit,” senior Gabe Kline said. “Being able to talk about my past and where I come from and all that. That’s been interesting, it’s kind of helped me grow and open up more about myself.”

Essays are typically the bulk of creativity for an application. Applicants use them to separate themselves from others. They are time consuming and can make or break the application typically if someone is under holistic review and not an automatic admit.

“I just didn’t want to write essays over the summer for the most part,” Bohner said.

Overall, the biggest hurdle to completing applications is the applicant. The work is tedious and requires a lot of redundant input at times. That is why it is recommended for a student to have a lot of runway in regards to time for completion. College applications are hard yet exciting. This the time where seniors go into the great unknown, hoping to find a new home all by themselves for the first time.