As March comes to an end, colleges are releasing their final decisions for the class of 2027. It is an exciting, disappointing, and overwhelming time for a lot of high school seniors. After years of hard work, the next big step in their lives awaits, and yet they do not have control over what will happen next.
Students spend months applying to colleges in the fall of their senior year. Between essays, activity lists, interviews, and deciding where to apply in the first place, these students are placed under immense stress. As a constant topic of conversation, the college application process can cause huge problems for families, friends, and students.
Since 2019, the amount of students applying to college has risen dramatically. According to The Atlantic, the number of college applications have increased 150% over the past two decades. Even though graduating high school classes do not seem to have grown, the amount of students wanting to go to college has. Unfortunately, the class size of colleges has not grown with the rising interest in universities.
With more applications, college admissions officers have less time to give each applicant a fair chance. Applications are said to be given just a few minutes of attention before a decision is made. After students spend months applying, and years building their resume, their fate is decided in a matter of minutes.
As terrible as the process can be, there is a lot of good that comes from the growing interest in the college process. More people than ever before are seeking a higher education, leading to a future of more educated adults.
Furthermore, even in the selective admissions process, there are those who are pleased with the result and get into their top choice of a college. Whether the process was in one's favor or not, each school can be a positive experience for any student. For many it feels like this decision could negatively impact their future, however it really is only a stepping stone in the grand scheme of life.
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