Although graduation day is not quite around the corner for this year’s seniors, it is time to start thinking about what happens after the cap and gown. College. Application time can be stressful, but it does not have to be as overwhelming as it seems. The Voice and the VHS counseling department are working together to keep you on your toes.

 By now, seniors should have already taken the SAT or ACT; or at least have registered for upcoming test dates. You should also check with your counselor to make sure you’re on track to graduate and start making yourself aware of the application deadlines of schools you are applying to.

“Start early so you don’t have it looming over your head or feel left behind when everyone else starts getting accepted—that’s the worst feeling,” Transition Coordinator Ms. Spradling said.  

 By October, school is in full swing; the first six weeks grades are in, and university applications should be well under way. Here are some tips to keep in mind this month.

• Organize your schools into “reach,” “safe” and “realistic” categories. “Everyone needs to be sure to have at least one back-up school that you’re guaranteed to get into so you don’t end up with nowhere to go!”  Ms. Spradling said.

• Take care of October 1 deadlines and rolling admission schools first. “I recommend shooting for finishing applications by October or no later than the end of November,” Mrs. Spradling said. “Plus, why have this task looming over you?  Just get it done!”

• If application fees are too expensive, ask a counselor for a fee waiver.

• Finish the application essays, and have your English teacher read them over. And don’t be afraid to use the same essay for multiple schools. “Don’t recreate the wheel every time. However, make sure if you wrote an essay specific to a school that you carefully proofread when sending to a different school,” counselor Ms. Amy Brooks said. “Students in the past have accidently sent an essay to Alabama that was all about why they wanted to go to Ole Miss – definitely not a good first impression.”

• Turn in recommendation letter request forms to the guidance office. “Some schools or scholarships may ask for more than one rec letter, choose one that can speak to your academic strengths from your junior or senior year, and also have a person that can speak to your character, like an extracurricular sponsor or community member,” Ms. Spradling said. 

This October, seniors will also nominate and vote on senior superlatives and class favorites as well as meet with a Josten’s representative to discuss caps and gowns as well as graduation invitations. Check back next month to make sure you’re staying on track with senior year events.