For most seniors the college application process is stressful, but some of this stress gets lessened after the first semester for a certain type of applicant. Those that choose to apply to colleges under Early Decision get the luxury of being done early with the process if admitted, but it comes with its own downsides. Senior Sarah Ye, an ED admitted senior at Washington University St. Louis, has her own opinion on the process.
“The number one pro is that I get to end the application process early, and it feels amazing, it was like two two hours of victory,” she said. “But another part was that I wanted to secure my chances in a school that I thought best fit me.”
The application brings a lot of stress to students, and can be scary, but it helps to consolidate the majority of your effort to your dream school.
“I know that college applications feel like a gamble, and it’s very scary,” she said. “So for me, even though I’m pretty secure with my application and everything, I wanted to double down on the place that I thought was the best fit for me.”
This also means that those applying should start much earlier than expected to be able to put forward the best version of themselves.
“Working on your personal statement early is important, especially when it comes to your ed school. You want to make sure that even if you don’t get in, at least you try your best,” Ye said.
However, this decision is not one you make on a whim but takes a lot of consideration when clicking that button.
“I think the thought process is, how bad do you really want to go there and what do you think your chances are with and without ed, and if you’re willing to take that chance,” she said. “Make sure that you have no other hesitations in what colleges, so you don’t have any what ifs, maybes or buts. In your heart that this is the one set for me.”
Ye had come out of the process without any regrets, hopeful for the future she has in St. Louis.
“I mean sometimes I’m curious about what other schools I could have got into,” she said. “but I also know that either way my best fit’s at WashU.”
