STOCKTON– November 1st marked the deadline for Early Action and Early Decision applications for many private universities. Meanwhile, the University of California (UC) schools and California State Universities (CSU) do not have these options. Instead, all applicants are required to submit their applications by November 30th for the fall 2024 season. The UCs and CSUs are some of the most popular universities to apply to, aside from the Ivy Leagues. The UCs received a total of 251,179 applications for the fall 2023 admission, while the CSUs had more than 160,000 applicants. Here at Lincoln High, a significant portion of seniors participate in the stress-inducing college application season every year. This year, it was the Class of 2024’s turn to endure this cycle. I interviewed 3 different seniors about their future plans for after high school.
Samantha Dominquez, a staff member of The Lincolnian, plans to major in Journalism. She applied to San Francisco State University and wants to go into a field that involves writing for a magazine or news company, for example. The application process was very stressful for her. Dominquez describes, “I procrastinated a lot, which I regret. It’s stressful because I feel like I’m making a lot of big choices that will determine where my future will go, and I’m literally just a 17-year-old girl.” To avoid doing what she did, she advises the Class of 2025 to start looking at colleges in the summer and create a set list of colleges you are interested in. In addition to filling out the application, she adds that you shouldn’t start the week before they are due, because it’s stressful.
Devin Thompson intends to attend San Joaquin Delta College after he graduates from high school. He expressed interest in psychology, and thinks that becoming a therapist would be fun. Depending on his future circumstances, he might consider transferring to a university as well. Thompson gave a really important piece of advice that is often overlooked by seniors when they apply to college. He mentions, “Really think about what you want to do. Don’t do it on a whim. Take into account your future.” This was his message to the Class of 2025 or to anyone else who plans on applying to college.
Karanveer Dhoot, a student that has taken a wide range of AP classes at school, plans on majoring in accounting in finance and wants to become a certified public accountant.
He applied to many schools which include: San Jose State University, San Diego State University, California State Long Beach, California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo, UC Santa Barbara, UC Los Angeles, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and lastly UC Davis. Dhoot adds, “One thing I wish I knew before applying to college would be the importance of extracurriculars. My advice for the Class of 2025 would be to not procrastinate. By spreading out your applications and starting your essays early, you’ll take a lot of weight off of your shoulder and find the whole process a lot easier.”
Remember, your grades and test scores do not define who you are as a person. Participate in volunteer service and extracurricular activities that are genuine to you, not because it will look good on your college application. In addition, there are many alternatives if you do not choose to go to college. Everyone’s path will be different from each other. It is up to you to decide what you want for yourself, what you make out of yourself, and it is completely okay to not know where you want to go after high school.
The Lincolnian staff wishes everyone good luck on their college apps, and we will see you all on May 1st, otherwise known as Decision Day!
