On Wednesday, Oct. 11, the College Counseling Office held its fourth annual Application Day for seniors. All classes were canceled in order to dedicate an entire day to preparing and polishing college applications.
The day began at 8:30 a.m. with breakfast in the library and an announcement from the College Counseling team, outlining the day. Along with teachers and advisors to assist in the process, there were also 10 college representatives who were eager to inform the seniors about their schools.
Representatives came from Florida, Pennsylvania, Boston, and other locations so that the students could be better informed before making their final decision on where they want to spend their next four years. This makes it easier for students applying to schools that they do not have the ability to visit. Additionally, it makes the process more human, as the representative who visits Kingswood Oxford is the Admissions Officer who will read their applications in the next few months.
In the library, students worked tirelessly filling out the Common App, writing supplements, and polishing college essays. Thankfully, their college counselors were available all day for assistance as well as English teachers, who consulted on the essays.
Senior Aashni Patel said that she valued the day. “Having dedicated time and space to work on applications without the added stress of class was amazing,” she said. This balance is crucial to the fall of senior year, so having this allocated time was very helpful for many.
Of course, the value of the time was determined by the students themselves. If they chose to reach out to English teachers for help and focus a great deal of their time on refining their applications, the day could have been fruitful and helpful in getting a step ahead.
Since this program is young, it is crucial that the students show their dedication towards making it productive. Director of College Counseling Jami Silver noted the positive effects of the day. “I think the students who really took advantage of it felt like the day was well worth it,” she said.
Due to how young the program is, there have been tweaks and additions made in the past to break up the day a bit. In past years, there were stress awareness activities with Guidance Counselor Felicia Velez and workouts with Field House Manager Brad Seaman.
Although there were no additional activities this year, the program is constantly developing and the college counselors are working to fit the needs of the seniors. The teachers and advisors are well aware of the stress that comes with applications, so the greatest gift truly is the time to work.
Overall, the most important result of Application Day is the comforting feeling that you have put a great deal of time towards preparation for this major life transition. With all of the hustle and excitement of senior year, months fly by and deadlines get closer. Seniors certainly enjoyed the opportunity to work towards a common goal as a community.
