COMMENTARY
College calls, but first come applications
By Teal Takayama
Topping the list of most frequently asked questions, "Where are you applying to college?" seems to be on everyone's mind.
It is one of the most important, life-altering decisions a high school senior has to make. Get ready to pull out your hair, reach for the extra cup of coffee, and sacrifice some precious hours of sleep.
This is academia's favorite rite of passage: the College Application Process.
The pursuit of higher education does not come easy. It is a widely known fact that colleges want the well-rounded students — the ones with the good grades, high SAT scores, varsity sport championships, and insane hours of community service.
For the average high school student, a mere mortal trying to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders, finding the perfect balance between academics, extracurriculars, and the general responsibilities of teenage life could be the Holy Grail of adolescent existence.
Simply figuring out where to apply is a struggle within itself. It seems like every school is appealing in its own way; yet at the same time each has its flaws. It doesn't help when, at home, I am bombarded with colorful viewbooks and stacks of brochures from some of the most obscure colleges and universities.
Within a week or two, most of these envelopes find themselves in piles on the floor of my messy bedroom.
Everyone has their own opinion as to which is the "best" college in the nation, but it is an ongoing battle to ultimately pick the one that will be the best fit for myself.
And then there's the application itself. A few days ago, I sat down to begin filling out my very first paper application. It turned out to be a painstakingly slow endeavor. Before writing every line, I read and re-read the question, and even asked my college counselor every few minutes for help (just to make sure).
The hardest part, however, is trying to nail down that killer college essay. One that might make an admissions officer overlook that not-so-little D from Geometry in 10th grade.
I'm told that when everything is said and done, when the last application is finally stamped and mailed off, things have a way of working themselves out.
In a few years, when we look back on our high school lives, the things that today mean the world will be only distant memories. Choosing a college is not the end of our lives.
In fact, as Sir Winston Churchill once said, "it is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
Until then ... the search continues.
Teal Takayama is a student at St. Andrew's Priory School for Girls. The Advertiser invites teens to speak out about issues, trends, pressures and perceptions they deal with each day. If you would like to submit an article or suggest a topic, write Island Life assistant editor Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.
