Senior Sacrifice
KENDALL FORD | FEATURES | NOV. 6, 2022
Senior year serves as the culmination of years of hard work. It represents the social milestone of transitioning from adolescence to adulthood, and for many, from high school to college. With a relatively uncertain future, this transitory period is filled with stress and excitement. The autonomy and lofty expectations placed on seniors can conflict with the support needed to succeed during such a challenging time. Attempting to balance sustained academic success along with the college application process requires sacrifices made either by students or educators.
From an academic standpoint, there is nothing exceptionally different from past years. There are the same number of classes, similar Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) loads, and familiar homework habits. Progressive overload, seen in shift from an average of 2 AP’s sophomore year to five minimum by senior year, has prepared seniors for the required academic rigor. For in-school extracurriculars, most seniors have already joined honor societies and clubs they are interested in. Jobs and sports have also already been established. One of the major tasks that differentiates this year from previous years is the addition of college applications.
Many seniors have an ambivalent relationship with college applications. In one regard, the college process is the epitome of a high school career. The past three years, and all the years before it, have prepared students for this decisive step in their academic development. On the flip side, this finality can be terrifying. In a 2022 College Hopes and Worries Press Release by “The Princeton Review,” among respondents overall, 74% reported “Very high” or “High” stress about their applications. Students offer themselves to college admission officers in hopes of receiving validation through acceptance. The results of these applications can have profound effects on students' morale and self-perception.
Recognizing the importance of this process, the guidance office has offered various means to assist the student body. Every Tuesday and Thursday, college application help sessions are held after school in the media center. During the school day each week, various schools come to Stanton College Preparatory School to host college information sessions. Additionally, understanding the challenges of the college process, students can request one-on-one meetings with counselors during school hours to take advantage of the college resources they can offer.
Though there is an extensive support system offered, one major obstacle is the system itself. Stanton touts its academic rigor as a college preparatory school, but as college application deadlines approach, there is usually little to no leniency given to students. Though college visits and informational sessions are available during the school day, few teachers are willing to give up their class time for students to go to guidance. After school sessions can be impossible for students who must take early buses to get home or have jobs. Senior year is a looming obstacle, the greatest balancing act required yet.
While some may argue that the increased stress placed on seniors is the norm, there are various approaches both students and faculty could take to combat this overloaded system. Similar to pre-scheduled monthly Wellness Wednesday activities, formally scheduling time for college application help session during school hours would remove the conflict between counselor meetings and teacher class time. Additionally, if schools began to partner with reputable community college preparation services, guidance counselors would have more manageable loads while also giving students access to more individualized help. Instituting a uniform summer assignment for seniors drafting a college essay would give students more time to begin requesting revisions. Motivating students to start their application earlier would reduce stress from students and the surge of requests placed on teachers. Personally, students could reduce their stress by breaking up their college application process into smaller manageable tasks, allowing them to have consistent improvement in their application while leaving room for personal care.
Though Guidance offers services for students, the overall nature and expectations associated with Stanton students creates an environment that makes it challenging for the student body to take advantage of them. To mitigate the potentially harmful effects of this system, there are various initiatives faculty, staff, and students can begin to make the process more manageable.