News
The Watchdog
October 19, 2012
5
Early action deadlines increase student stress Brigid Hamilton & Katie Drezwieki >> Copy Editor Staff Writer Students opted to take advantage of the option to apply early decision or early action, allowing them to find out early in their senior year whether or not they were accepted to their top choices of colleges. However with this decision came the extra burden of having less time to prepare their applications. “I’m applying early action to James Madison University and Christopher Newport University. I just like JMU and CNU is close to home. I also like CNU because it’s close to the beach and you can have your car,” Rachel Berry, 12, said. Students who apply early have more time to make decisions on where they would go if they are not accepted to their top choice of schools. “It’s just better knowing earlier and you can plan if it doesn’t work out and ap-
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ply to other schools. There are tons of other schools I could apply to if I don’t get in,” Berry said. Applying earlier has the added pressure of having less time to prepare applications, including students’ personal statements and essays and getting recommendations from the teachers of their choice. “I think it’s more stressful to apply early because you have to cram everything in, but in the end it’s worth it,” Berry said. The stress doesn’t fall as heavily on some students, such as Ethan Kalcheff, 12, who is confident that everything will be finished on time. “I’m applying early to CNU because I really like the school and if I make it in I want to go there over anywhere else. It’s not very stressful, it’s a time crunch ,but I think I can do it. Anyone applying early should start early,” Kalcheff said. Jackie Lasky, 12, is applying early action to two schools she is interested in and early decision to her
first choice. “I’m applying early action to Georgia Tech and Purdue and early decision to Virginia Tech because I want to be an engineer. There are ups and downs and pros and cons to applying early, it’s stressful to get everything done but it’s good to find out early,” Lasky said. Lasky has also planned ahead in case she doesn’t get into any of the schools she is applying early for. “If I don’t get into any of my first choices, my back up schools are Drexel University and Wentworth Institute of Technology,” Lasky said. Another benefit of applying early action or early decision is having more time to apply for scholarships after you hear back about getting into a school. “It’s good to find out early because there is a lot of competition for scholarships,” Lasky said. Many seniors will be taking their last SAT, which will be a factor for colleges in determining whether or
Photo by Madie Mason
Piling on the stress> Working to maintain grades with the added stress of meeting the early deadlines for her college applications, Rachel Berry, 12, studies in Economics and Personal Finance. to impress colleges and stand out in the applications among their peers. “I was worried because I needed to bring up my math score,” Lasky said. Emmanuel Subayi, 12, is applying early to Indiana University of Pennsylvania and hopes to get
not the student will be accepted. “I took my last SAT on Oct. 6. I’m worried because I had to do best on this one,” Berry said. The last SAT can be stressful because it is the last time for students to get a higher score in order
in early so he won’t have to worry about college anymore throughout the year and focus on his grades instead. “I want to know where I’m going so I can just focus on my senior year. I’m nervous to have to wait and see if I get in,” Subayi said.
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