The early action and early decision dates have passed, and as the regular decision dates for college applications approach, many seniors are dealing with the confusion of the process. This raises the question among students applying to college whether WJ has given enough support.

It goes without saying that it is a stressful time of the year for seniors. It’s the time of year when seniors are perfecting their applications in order to gain acceptance to their schools of choice. No matter where or how students are applying, they are looking for all the help possible in order to achieve success.

With a senior class of over 700 people, guiding them through the college process can become hectic. Although the help they have been provided has allowed many students to reach their goals, some feel there is still more that can and should be done.

One major issue with the support system provided by the school, is the number of help students that are applying to international schools receive. While WJ provides a lot of resources for common app users and has many ways to help students if they come to their counselor with certain questions, students who are applying internationally find it more difficult to get through their processes. Since they are a part of the minority, these students are met with unanswered questions, which is why the school should teach/enforce the counselors with materials to help students that aren’t just applying in the U.S.

Another improvement that could work is offering more general support for the contents in the college application. Since seniors have only recently been introduced to the college process, it can be very nerve-racking to see everything that needs to be completed in order for submission. So staff in the school should be more expressive to students on what they can help with. Whether that’s students’ personal statement, supplemental essays, resumes or any other questions that could be on the application, students should receive any help on these new concepts instead of having to navigate through it by themselves.

This isn’t to say that the burden isn’t on students. Taking initiative and meeting with guidance counselors and college experts is half the battle. In order for WJ to help seniors, seniors must first help themselves. Taking initiative and forming a personal relationship with these knowledgeable people can make the process smoother all around.

WJ’s help throughout the college application process has been applaudable in many aspects. Although students have received a lot of advice on how to go about their application, there is always room for improvement in helping seniors reach their full potential.