We spend four years of high school preparing for college. Four years taking the right classes, the right extracurriculars, the right tests, all to get into the school of our dreams. We spend four years doing the “hard stuff”; so why is the application process the part that’s the most confusing? I’m not against the common application. I think it’s great. I don’t mind writing a personal statement or answering seemingly meaningless supplemental questions (do they really need to know that my favorite movie is Mulan?) because the common application website presents all of these requirements in a well-organized manner and it even notifies me to tell me how far along I am in the process.

Well, if the problem isn’t the writing, and it isn’t the website, then why do I still feel like I’m lost? The answer I’ve come up with is Harriton. Our school is the problem. I simply don’t know what forms to fill out, when to hand them in, or whom to hand them to. All I have is a quickly approaching deadline. I’ve heard the horror story about the girl who couldn’t apply early because her transcript was never sent, I know that it’s imperative that I hand everything in. But how can I do that when I don’t even know where to begin?

The first problem is the release forms. I arranged a meeting with my guidance counselor a couple weeks ago to discuss other matters, and luckily I let it slip that I was completely lost as to what her role was in my application process. She took me to the common application website and Naviance, then handed me the release forms. I thought filling them out and handing them in would be the easiest part of this ordeal. Now, two weeks later, I am guidance counselor-less (though it’s not her fault and I wish her the best at her new job), without a clue as to who to hand these in to, and unsure that they will even be accepted after 12:00.

I’d tell you the second problem, but currently I don’t even know what it is. I have no idea what else guidance needs aside from these release forms. And how do I tell my counselor that I am done my application if she’s not at this school anymore? And does she even need to know that I’m done? And do I visit Ms. Daly or Ms. Newberg when I visit the office?

It’s pretty easy for me to answer all of these questions. I can arrange a meeting with someone in the office, or talk to friends or teachers, and eventually figure myself out. However, the senior class contains 211 students. How do we all sort ourselves out? We could all run to our guidance counselors or friends until we find that one person who seems to miraculously have it all figured out (there always is that one person). But that is stressful for everyone. My suggestion is this: at the end of Junior year set aside 1 or 2 RAMs for junior class assemblies during which the entire process is explained. I’ve spent four years working to create a great application; all I want now is a little help sending it in.