EARLY ACTION GETS THE DECISION

By KRISTEN BOERKE

With the start of 2018, seniors at WHS are realizing that graduation and the end of their high school careers will come to an end in a mere six months.  With that being said, the seniors are not the only ones stressing over the pressure of college; juniors are now beginning the process as well.  Common questions often arise: how does one decide upon a college or even apply?  Here’s how some students at WHS applied, got in, and made one of the most important decisions of their lives.

KRISTEN BOERKE FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY

First, when one applies to a college they need to know what choices are offered.   For example, there are four main options: Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision, and Rolling Admissions.  According to The Collegeboard, the recommended number of colleges a student should apply to is between five to eight.  Students do not have to apply early action to all colleges; instead they can make combinations of the aforementioned options.

A student who decides to apply Early Decision is making a binding decision.  This means that if accepted, there is a binding contract stating that he or she will attend said college.  A person cannot apply Early Decision to more than one college.   One of the drawbacks to applying ED is that the application deadline is earlier than other deadlines.  

Early Action seems to be one of the more popular options for students.  It allows students to submit their applications typically between November 1st through December 1st to get an earlier decision as to whether or not they are accepted. This option is not binding and one can apply Early Action to more than one school. 

Regular Decision is the “normal” deadline where students have a deadline to submit their applications and will get a decision typically no later than April.  This is different from Rolling Admissions.  Using the Rolling Admissions option, colleges allow students to apply anytime within a large window of time and will typically receive an answer within two weeks. 

Senior and varsity basketball captain Victoria Mirecki applied Early Action due to the common feeling of stress that comes along with the college application process.  She wanted to know if she was accepted so she could enjoy her senior year with less stress.  Mirecki will be attending WPI and playing basketball next fall. 

Mirecki’s college search was a long road that started sooner than most due to the fact that she wanted both athletics and mathematics.  “I chose WPI because there’s a great academic program that has a lot of the majors that I’m interested in.  I don’t have to decide right away exactly what I want to major in and it also gives me the chance to play basketball.”  She went on to explain, “I was able to narrow down schools based on academics.  I’m probably going to go into a STEM field and WPI is focused on STEM but also allows you to take other classes which is what I would like to do.  There’s a great study abroad program.”

Ryan Waaland will be attending Dartmouth in the fall.

Ryan Waaland, a senior at WHS, applied Early Decision (the binding admission) and will be attending Dartmouth in the fall. Waaland's reasoning for applying Early Decision was that typically the admission rate for most schools is higher if one applies early. After choosing between twenty colleges, he was certain that Dartmouth was the place he wanted to spend the next four years after he visited. He took an instant liking to their “stellar academics, however [he] immediately felt at home when [he] stepped foot on the campus.”  From there, he put all his effort into the Dartmouth application, applied ED, and got accepted. 

Like Mirecki, Waaland agrees that it is truly a relief to have the college search process over.  Now that they have concluded their process, both have some words of wisdom for current juniors that have or will begin this process.  Ryan Waaland wisely expressed, “Trust your gut and visit as many schools as possible because that is when you will truly know if it is a good fit.” Victoria Mirecki added, “You don't have to fall in love with the school right away, but pick the school that is right for you and fits your needs and put academics first when choosing.”

Many factors go into finding the right school such as majors, finances, athletics, the arts, programs, location, and so much more, however, knowing the options and being educated on the application process helps to alleviate the stress.

While everyone has a different experience applying to college, the important thing is to try not to stress.  Students should envision themselves at the colleges they are interested in while also finding a school with all of their wants and needs. 

Congrats to those that have committed to colleges thus far. However, the process remains for many WHS seniors as they continue to apply and make this major life decision.  Good luck to the current seniors and underclassmen in their future endeavors. In this case, it is about the destination, but the journey is pretty important too.