With the May 1st college decision deadline approaching soon, seniors have some tough choices to make for their future.

For seniors, the college admissions process started at the very beginning of the year. Students created a Schoolinks account as well as a Common App account, which is where most actual applications are completed. The entire process is aided by the Guidance Department and the College and Career Resource Center, and they provide extremely detailed information to assist students with the application process.

Mr. Matt Matkovich is energized to help during the college admissions process, noting that “I truly love the process. I am lucky enough to be alongside my students as they prepare for a massive chapter of their life. What’s not to love about that?”

Depending on the college or university at hand, there are typically four options for students to choose from for when to submit their applications through Common App: Early Action, Early Decision, Rolling Admission, and Regular Decision. Each of these options have different deadlines by which one should have their application submitted, and it can be a significant factor in a student’s decision.

Senior student Deen Mahdi said that ¨I definitely tried to do early action for every college, but I also made sure it wasn’t rushed and put in a lot of effort. I even had my teachers review my college applications.¨

Applying early would guarantee that a student will hear back from the college by at least January. Rolling admission provides a response as soon as possible, while regular admission decisions typically come out in March through April.

Mr. Matkovich stated that “when it comes to how to apply and when to apply, ultimately, each student has to do what is best for their own individual circumstance. From a personal standpoint, I love the idea of starting this process as soon as possible so I can hear back sooner.”

Students often feel stressed about how to balance the different application types for each unique school they apply to, and the delayed responses from colleges may discourage student motivation. However, as intense as the process is perceived to be, there seems to be an upward trend with seniors’ overall preparedness and confidence with the entire process.

Upon asking Mr. Matkovich about his perspective on students applying to colleges this year, and his observations are optimistic. “This year though, more than ever, I have seen so much confidence and transparency from my students when it comes with asking questions. This makes the application process much more collaborative and positive.”

Another senior student, Charles Daniel Garcia, stated that “I think I was pretty prepared. The classes I took at Sandburg including AP Lang and Modes of Rhetoric and Comp honestly helped me a lot. It was pretty rough in the beginning, but by taking my time and working it out, I ended up feeling pretty confident.”

As stressful as college applications can be for seniors, there have never been more resources available to help students accomplish their goals with peace of mind, as well as a positive trend for student’s readiness. While the admissions timelines can be a lot to juggle so close to the end of the school year, seniors can navigate the process successfully and take steps toward their future goals.