page 18|december 20, 2017
features|THELIONsROAR.com|THE LION’S ROAR
THE COMMON APPLICATION The Roar follows four seniors with different interests as they navigate the college application process and will reveal their identities and college plans as they make their decisions
By Dina Zeldin
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photo by Netta Dror
aniel Abdulah, previously known as Julian, committed to Harvard University ‘22. “I was first incredulous, just seeing the bolded ‘congratulations,’” he said. “I didn’t prepare for that scenario at all.” “Now, my big fear is that it might spontaneously gets rescinded, so I don’t want to have a major slump,” he added. Abdulah said he had his heart set on Harvard since taking a summer course there before junior year. “That’s when it really clicked for me. ... I liked how they handled math,” he said. “It was a really interesting course and I saw myself there, taking more classes. I really wanted to be in that kind of environment.” Abdulah is planning on double majoring in mathematics and biology. “Even making it to this point, everyone’s come so far and I have high hopes for everyone.”
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aroline* has started her theater audition process, with an audition every weekend during the winter. “It’s not particularly relaxing, [but] I’m ready for it ... and I’m excited,” she said. Of her 16 schools, her favorite is the Boston Conservatory for its location and warm community. Since none of her schools are academic reaches, Caroline said that her acceptances are mainly dependent on her artistic abilities. “The audition is five minutes that makes or breaks you, … so it’s higher stakes in that aspect,” she said. Even though students must audition for schools and present the best of themselves, the opposite is true as well, she said. “Even though they get to [mail] the acceptance letter, … you still get to choose whether or not you want to go there.”
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harlie* was accepted to Boston College and Case Western University through Early Action, and is waiting to hear back from the University of Michigan. “It’s a relief to be [admitted] somewhere where I definitely see myself going,” he said. Charlie added that he plans to apply to reach schools through regular admissions, including Tufts University, Washington University in St. Louis and Georgetown University, as many of the schools he applied to early were safety schools. Witnessing the encouragement that many of his peers received after announcing their college commitments on Facebook these pasg weeks helped to alleviate his stress, he said. “I’m so happy for everyone,” he said. “It’s a lot less contentious than I thought; everyone’s super supportive of each other.”
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graphics by Celine Yung
nnabelle* is working on finishing supplements to apply Regular Decision. She said that although supplement writing is not her forté she found motivation for her deadlines. “I realized how far behind I had fallen by Nov. 1 so [...] I had to get a move on,” she said. After spending time with family over the holidays, Annabelle said she began second-guessing her previous decisions. “I feel like talking about [the process], especially with older people, is annoying because they just rant on and on about their own application process,” she said. “You have to take advice very lightly.” “I can’t make up my mind,” she added. “You can’t choose what you want to do in your life within a three month period.” *Names changed to protect students’ identities
South musicians achieve success at Districts Aviva Gershman, Jacqueline Williams
Sr. Features Editor, Features Contributor
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very November, musically-inclined high school students across the state audition for Senior Districts, a music festival organized by the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA). For participants from South, the Senior Districts Festival represents an opportunity to demonstrate their musical talent and bond with students of similar interests. “The experience of doing an audition and competing is quite an important one,” sophomore Jay Park said. “It’s worth putting on one’s resume.” According to sophomore Fionn O’Connor, the audition process for Senior Districts offers a relatively uncompetitive and friendly environment. “I didn’t really sense competition between me and the orchestra members, honestly — that doesn’t really happen in auditions,” he said. “Everyone is really rooting for each other and hoping that they get in.” Senior Jason Crowley, however, said that for some instrument players, there is stiff competition. “You’re competing with other people who play the same instrument because there are only a certain number of seats for your instrument,” he said. “There wasn’t much competition for me at school because no one else auditions for concert band saxophone.”
The Senior Districts festival can benefit music educators and teachers throughout the state, according to South orchestra director and music teacher Jason Wang. “All the [music] teachers in Massachusetts ... are aware of this organization because it provides a lot of support for teachers in terms of resources,” he said. Although potentially advantageous for aspiring musicians, the festival is not imperative to pursuing a music career, O’Connor said; what matters is practice and dedication. “If you want to go into a music career, you should probably consider doing Districts,” he said. “[But] because Districts is a couple of days, I think what’s more important is pursuing your passion in music and playing often.” Playing music with other students teaches important lessons about cooperation, senior Claire Deng added. “In an orchestra, there is a sense of teamwork,” she said. “You can’t do this on your own; you have to work with other people in the group and you can really create something spectacular.” According to Deng, music is about conveying an emotion to listeners. “When you’re playing music, you’re learning how to inject feeling into what you’re playing,” she said. Regardless of the end result, auditioning for Senior Districts can help student musicians progress and challenge themselves, O’Connor said. “It doesn’t matter how good you are if you take the time to audition,” he said.
“If you are challenging yourself and going out for an audition, … you’re growing as a musician and improving your playing.” For many students, a successful audition is an easy way to evaluate their progress. “[Practice] is something that I’m in control of. I really feel empowered. I’m going to choose how I practice, what I’m
going to practice and if I practice well,” junior Ronit Glasgow said. “I like to look at all practice as making me a better player, and then I transfer that to the audition.” For Park, music is a way to cope with pressure. “Music is a way of life,” he said. “It’s a way of expressing myself and a way of helping me deal with stress at school.”
photo illustration by Netta Dror