It is officially application season! Seniors who are planning to go to college next year are applying to schools now. Ms. Desroches and other counselors are working with students on getting applications in this fall and winter. The early decision and early action deadlines are around November 1st and 15th. The deadlines for regular decision applications are more scattered later into the year and carry into 2024.
Senior Abby Fiedler says, “I’m excited for a new chapter in my life.” Though applications can be stressful it is a time to explore students’ futures.
Ms. Desroches said in an interview, “The biggest stressor for most of our students is just deciding which colleges to apply to.” Boston alone has 35 colleges within the area according to Bostonplans.org. Many decision factors include school size, majors, minors, athletics, location, etc. One of the best ways to know if a college is right for you is to “tour it,” according to Ms. Desroches, and to also make “sure they have programs that you’re interested in.”
Right now seniors should be “staying organized,” as stated by Ms. Desroches. Students can use resources like Google Sheets to track what schools they are applying to and to stay on top of deadlines. Ms. Desroches advises, “If you don’t know how to be organized… ask your school counselor.” One of the most helpful resources for students at Westborough High School is your guidance counselor. Senior meetings are available for students to discuss the college application process with their counselor this fall and will continue to be available throughout the school year.
Using your resources is one of the best ways to go through the application process. So, go talk to your counselor, parents, friends, college representatives, family, etc. to give yourself the best chance of getting into college.