PEA Seniors Receive College Decisions
The results of the arduous college application process were released this past week, as many seniors frantically refreshed their browsers in hopes of acceptance. The results were met with a mixture of ecstasy and disappointment, with many looking to their friends for support on decision day.Director of College Counseling Betsy Dolan reflected upon this college admissions season by commenting on the maturity and empathy of the Class of 2014.“This particular class cares deeply about each other, and I continue to be amazed at the care that’s taken to not offend, to share in the disappointment and to buoy those that are feeling low,” Dolan said.“In the end, I think they all realize relationships matter—people matter. Having connections and appreciating those connections are important and the Class of 2014 knows what this means. I’ve been here 17 years, and this is a very special class.”In the aftermath of decision day, students shared their views on the application process and the guidance of the College Counseling Office.Senior Marco Alvarez had a positive view on the guidance provided by the College Counseling Office.“I think the College Counseling Office does a great job not only advising you, but also in telling exactly what colleges might fit,” Alvarez said.Alvarez continued that although he had initially hoped to attend one specific college, his college counselor helped him consider different options, one of which ended up being an even better fit for him.“In my case, I had already had this one college as a dream and I always wanted to go there,” he said. “Now that I look back on it, that was probably not the best thing for me.”Senior Nick du Pont said that his experience with the College Counseling Office was positive as well. “I had a really good experience with college admissions process, even though I didn’t end up getting into the school that I thought I wanted to go to,” du Pont said.“And I have learned a lot about myself throughout the process and about who I want to be and what I want to focus on in the future and that has been great to really understand more about myself.”For all students at the Academy, the college application process starts with students identifying a preliminary list of colleges they may be interested in applying to at the end of their upper year. Students then proceed to cut down the list throughout the year by visiting college campuses, researching on their own and talking to admission reps. By senior fall, students narrow down their lists to seven to ten colleges, apply, and wait for the decisions to come out during winter and spring.Many seniors take the process very seriously, with the majority of them spending more time on their applications than school work during the fall and winter terms, history instructor Erik Wade said.“I had seniors talk about how they prioritize those applications as opposed to working on that history paper or having done that reading extensively,” he said.However, although Wade said the negative effects could be felt in the classroom, he viewed this decision as pragmatic. “I don’t know if it’s a good thing but I think it's practical,” he said. “Its not like they do it over the course of an entire term. It might be a few strategic weeks here, a week there. Maybe a couple of weeks. Exonians, they want to do well in their classes, but they also want to get in to the best school that they can get into.”Many seniors recognized that news of waitlists and rejection letters are inevitable.Senior Lloyd Campbell noted that seniors should realize that regardless of the college they go to, they should not be discouraged since opportunities to succeed abound. “We should not feel bad about not getting into our top college choice because wherever we go, we will be successful,” he said.Alvarez emphasized that regardless of the large numbers of rejections seniors receive from colleges each year, it’s important for them to have hope and try their best, wherever they may end up.“There are a lot of people who are very satisfied, but unfortunately there are a lot of people that are not satisfied,” Alvarez said. “I am very conscious of that and my only advice to those people is to realize that the college that you go to doesn’t really matter. It’s the person behind. Never give up.”Dolan also said that for seniors who were placed on a waitlist, the application process is not yet over.She explained how the College Counseling Office guides students through the waitlist process. “We have students prioritize their waitlist choices, and then we have them write to the reader about why they should be considered off the waitlist,” explained Dolan. “We have them introduce themselves at the Spring Fair to reinforce their interest. We then follow up with the schools with students interested on the waitlists.”Dolan also added that the waitlist is different from a rejection, and that the waitlist can serve as a mean to fill in needed spaces in colleges. “When schools go to the waitlist it can be very simple—they need more boys than girls, they need more students in this program or that program,” Dolan explained. “Schools need to fill the objectives that aren’t filled yet.”Regardless of college news, Dolan shared her wishes that seniors enjoy their last term at the Academy.“We hope the senior class will reflect on their time at Exeter, especially in their final term,” Dolan said. “Enjoy Exeter, its people and also its resources and its opportunities, but not at the expense of one’s health or grades.”