Hoping to hit the right college bull’s-eye

Applying to college is like playing darts. There are so many places you can shoot a dart, yet there’s just one target you must hit in order to succeed. A student can apply to as many colleges as he or she pleases, but for some, it is difficult to find that one college that truly represents them as an individual. While playing the game, it often feels like you’re being blindfolded, unaware of the obstacles that come with each application you throw out into the air.

With the stress of obtaining a perfect grade-point average or getting the highest SAT score, you’re left wondering what exactly you have to do in order to get accepted to a school you’re really interested in. And what happens if you don’t get in? Where do you turn to? Do you give up? Or do you settle for the closest target?

And the stress doesn’t end there. You’re expected to know what you want to do with the rest of your life when you can barely pick out your outfit of the day. You’re expected to balance all your schoolwork, get involved in sports, and keep up with your social life, all while writing several supplements each week. It seems almost impossible and can be extremely overwhelming for a senior in high school.

However, the toughest part of the process is realizing no one can make this decision for you. A counselor can suggest schools that may interest you, a teacher can recommend you to a top university and your parents can try to persuade you to stay close by, but at the end of the day, the school you choose should be one that you are most comfortable attending.

No one will know the outcome before you take the blindfolds off. The best you can do is hope that the work you put in over the past four years pays off and you hit that bull’s-eye –– the college of your dreams.