With college applications now closed, seniors are heaving a sigh of relief when they finally get the chance to submit the documents with everything that they have done during their high school careers. For many, finishing the process is an enormous weight lifted from their shoulders, but, for others, it is just another step in the painstaking process of waiting for their letters of acceptance.

    The personal essays are a huge part of the application process, and most seniors said that the most difficult part about applying was putting their feelings onto paper.

“The essays were the hardest part about applying. There was a word limit and I had so much to say,” senior Connie Park stated.

Essay questions ranged from community contributions to life at home, so students had several options on what to write about. No two college applications are going to be the same, so the main factor in a successful application is to make yourself stand out among your fellow peers.

“It is somewhat stressful, but I know in my heart that I’ll get into at least one school and that I will enjoy it,” Craig Valdez stated.

Many seniors are also excited about the fact that they will finally be able to study subjects that they are truly interested and invested in for their futures when they attend a university.

“I’m really excited to get further into science and explore what labs and internships that college offers so that I can get as much experience as possible,” Valdez said.

  Not all seniors are attending a four-year university. Some students are utilizing the viable option of a junior college instead.

“I like the fact that MJC is so close,” Katelynn Granum mentioned.

Some students are under the impression that a junior college is lesser than a four-year university, which isn’t the case.

“Since I’m not sure what I want to do yet, I like the fact that a JC lets me explore my options without costing me a lot of money,” Granum said.

When asked to give advice to Ripon High’s Juniors who will be applying next year, our seniors had some helpful responses:

“Get involved. I didn’t think it would help, but it really does. Had I not gotten involved in sports, internships, and volunteering, I wouldn’t have had the knowledge and experiences that I needed in order to write my essays. You need to do outside activities in order to write your essays,” Valdez said.

Now, all our seniors can do is wait in anticipation for March, when the acceptance letters start flooding their inboxes.

“I feel better now that they’re submitted. It’s almost over,” Craig said.