By Christina N., Staff Writer
Applying to college is a stressful process and high school seniors will always want ways to lessen the pressure of waiting to hear back from schools. What some might not know is that it’s possible to apply and get accepted early to some colleges. And that is exactly what senior Clare C. did before sending in her other applications (UC/CSU’s).
After some colleges had emailed her, towards the beginning of the school year, saying they would accept her application early if she turned them in right away, Clare knew she wanted to do it. This resulted in her getting accepted into both Montana State University and the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa before the fall semester has even ended.
“I talked about applying early with my parents and we came to the decision together that it was a good idea. I am happy with the decision because it relieved a little bit of stress from me,” said Clare.
For Clare, the positives of applying early to college was the reassurance that she was already accepted somewhere, no matter what else happened with the other schools she applied to.
Some advice Clare gives about early applications is to not procrastinate on getting them done on time. Because applications are due earlier, the colleges that have reached out also give a set time that the applications have to be sent in by. She said, “I don’t really procrastinate so it wasn’t an issue for me to get all of it done. But if you’re someone that procrastinates that would kind of be an issue,” she also added, “Luckily, the early application colleges will accept an answer at the same time as the regularly admitted college applications; however, keep in mind that this could vary depending on the school.”
Clare feels like the regular application process is more stressful than early applications because of the fact that she has to wait longer for their answer. She is now waiting for acceptance letters from UC Davis, Cal Poly San Luis Opisbo, and Reed College in Oregon.
However, having those other schools as safety nets already available made it easier for Clare to relax while applying to these other schools, since she has the reassurance that even if she doesn’t get into any other school, there are still these two that she can go to.
In addition to being accepted already, Montana State is also offering her up to $10,000 to help with tuition costs. Although this school might be on the bottom of her list, she still may consider going for this reason. This also would take the pressure off of herself and her parents financially, saying “They [my parents] were both excited that I had gotten in early cause it took pressure off of them too, and they were also excited about the money the schools were offering”.
