The daunting Common App screen awaits. Photo courtesy of senior Erika Spargo. 

  Many seniors at San Luis Obispo High School feel like they were just in eighth grade when COVID-19 shut schools down. However, the rapidly approaching college application deadline has given them a startling wake-up call. 

  The majority of seniors have started drafting their essays, narrowing down their list of colleges they want to attend, and finalizing their extracurriculars. 

  “I would just encourage people not to give in too much to the anxiety about it, and just trust that it’s going to go well. You’ve done what you can to be prepared, and you’re cool people so just present yourself well, and it’s going to work out,” said SLOHS principal Rollin Dickinson. 

  In the SLOHS graduating class of 2023, 36 percent of students planned to attend a University of California (UC) school or a California State University (CSU) school. UC and CSU applications are due by November 30. 

  “I’ve had a vague idea of the colleges I knew that I wanted to apply to for a while but I’ve been working on narrowing them down to a few reaches, targets, and safeties. The Common App also makes it pretty easy to just fill out one set of questions and essays, and then select the colleges you want your application to be sent to,” said senior Maggie McKay. 

  Many seniors are using the Common Application to apply to colleges. The Common App is a single online application that over 900 colleges use. 

  The Common App consists of the student’s profile which has all of their personal information, their extracurriculars, transcripts, recommendation letters, and one 650-word essay.   

  There are many resources available for seniors who are struggling with their college applications, such as the SLOHS counselors. 

  “During our tutorials coming up, our counselors will be running college application workshops. They’re also going to run them after school and during lunchtime, so they’re here to help with that process. Know that they’re there as a resource and you can use them a lot to navigate it,” said Dickinson.

  Still, some seniors choose various alternative routes. In the 2023 graduating class, nine students took a gap year, six students did an apprenticeship, and three students went into the military. 

  No matter what seniors decide to do, or which colleges they get accepted into, rest assured that it will all work out in the end. 

Source :PrincetonReviewCalStateUniversityofCalifornia

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