As the year is ending for the Class of 2022, they look back at their fall semester and wish they knew certain things while applying for college. 

   Whether it was how tedious the process was, how stressful it was, or how important it was planning ahead, these seniors share some advice regarding the college application process:

    “A lot of people feel pressure to apply to a bunch of fancy schools and I think it’s super important to research the schools you’re applying to and choose 5-7 schools you would genuinely consider attending (both location and cost wise), including safety and reach schools, to minimize the stress of applications and the expenses of application fees. Senior year is a lot more stressful than people think!” – Samantha Villafane

    “When I was applying for college, I wish I knew that it was simpler than I thought before – it’s easiest to use one website like Common App which organizes them and makes it easy to complete them all. Also, it helps to reuse essays, just tweak them to fit slightly different prompts.” – Aliya Khan 

     “One thing I wish I knew before my college applications process is to plan far ahead and figure out what you want to study and where you want to go. Also, research and pick schools that you will truly enjoy going to and that have good programs for your major.” – Estefania Griffiths

   “I wish I knew how independent the college application process was. You’re responsible for checking your emails, getting your transcripts, making sure all the information is correct and getting teacher recommendations. I was surprised by how much I had to do by myself. – Paul Mcfarlane 

   “If you are using the Common App to apply, you should have a Google Docs with all the written questions you have to answer that would help as some questions are similar, and to keep yourself organized.” – Kaitlyn Ayeba

   “One important thing to know about your college applications is your extracurriculars. Take the opportunity to show off and boast about yourself. It really does help a lot.” – Noah Carrasco

  “I wish I knew how stressful it can be applying to all of the schools and balancing homework. I advise taking your time when choosing where to apply and doing it early!” – Elena Robles 

   “I wish I started thinking about my college essay earlier so I could write it sooner and have more teachers read it.” – Ashley Feng

“I wish I knew how long and tedious the college apps process was, so I could’ve started sooner.” – Hansini Koppolu

   Once the November deadline passes, then comes the waiting game. The acceptance or rejection letters slowly come out, different days for different schools. As the decisions come out, then comes the hard part: deciding where they want to go for the next four years, or attend one school for two years, then transfer to another for the other two. There are many factors that contributed to choosing which university or college students picked. Here they share some factors.

   “I chose UF because it is the #1 university in Florida for the major I want and I like the small town vibe of the campus.” – Paul Mcfarlane   

   “I was able to apply early to my dream school, the University of Miami, and chose to go there after being accepted. Since it was the best for my major and located in a beautiful city, I knew it was the place for me!” – Elena Robles

   “My initial plan was to go out of state for college and live in a big city. But when I visited Gainesville and explored the beautiful area, I immediately fell in love with the idea of living in a college town and decided I wanted to go to UF.” – Estefania Griffiths

   “I chose UCF because it had been one of my top 3 schools for the longest time. Getting accepted was a dream come true. I truly love how huge the campus is and all the opportunities they have available at the school. Not to mention how close it is to Disney and Universal Studios.” – Noah Carrasco 

    “I chose UF because I really liked the campus when I visited and I thought they had good programs for what I want to do. I also have a cousin who went there and she loved her experience!” – Ashley Feng

   “I choose to go to UM because I want to be a doctor and [it has] a good medical school!” – Hansini Koppolu

     “The most influential factor in my choice was what was offered to me. UF was already my top choice, but they had programs which I felt were better for me than those at other schools too.” – Aliya Khan

   “What made me choose UF is the programs they offered that were relevant to my future career plan, and the various opportunities they have that would allow me to explore my interests.” – Kaitlyn Ayebah