It’s time to begin the fourth year of Meet the Class! The class of 2021 has the strangest admissions season in memory—standardized tests being largely sidelined, few in-person campus visits, all on top of the demands of living through a pandemic—and I’m interested and excited to see how it goes for the more than a million college-bound high school seniors. It looks like there will be four seniors participating this year, and here is the first installment. Enjoy!

Meet the Class gets updated each month from September to May. Each installment features an interview about both the facts and the feelings of where the student is in the process.

Interviews may be edited lightly for clarity and grammar. Names may be changed to protect privacy. 

Julianna attends a public high school in Kentucky

Tell me about your high school. Around how many students does it have? Is it public, private? A magnet school or one with any special focus?

My high school is a public school in an independent school district. We are consistently ranked as the number one high school in my state. There are three elementary schools in my independent school district, all three of which are feeders to our middle school and high school. My high school has around 1,000 students (there are 256 students in my graduating class). The district has around 3,000 students total. We are majority white; when I say majority, I mean approximately 93% of the student population in my district is white. In addition, we have a high number of students with an upper-middle to high economic background.

Have you already started school for the year? When did you begin or will you begin? Are you on campus, online only, or hybrid? How’s it going for you?

My school district was planning to open the year in-person five days per week (with a fully remote option available for students to choose permanently), but after new guidance from our governor, the school board determined that the start of in-person learning should be pushed back to the end of September. We started school fully online on August 31, and so far it's been going well. I'd say the teachers and students are much more prepared for an online learning experience than we were in the spring. Tonight, actually, the school board held a vote and decided to go back to full in-person instruction starting on September 17 instead of September 28, the previous date that we were supposed to go back. This is creating quite an uproar in my community, as teachers are afraid for their lives. 

How much of a focus is college for your peers? What’s the mood of the senior class right now?

Right now, most of my fellow members of the senior class at my school are scared. Many people were unable to take standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT, and they're considering applying to schools test-optional. We're all grappling with the fact that we have to ask teachers for letters of recommendation remotely, and little social things too. For example, we won't have any sort of "court." We didn't have a junior prom, so no prom king and queen. Now, we aren't having a senior homecoming. No homecoming king and queen. There are a million little traditions we feel cheated out of. I obviously empathize with most of my classmates, but the way so many of them are expressing their frustrations are counterproductive. I keep seeing people in my grade gathering maskless in large groups, and I shake my head. We're not making the right decisions. We're being careless. As someone that cares a lot, it is heartbreaking to watch.

How are you feeling about the college admissions season coming up? How prepared do you feel for all that’s going to be asked of you?

I feel quite prepared for college admissions season. I know that probably is not a common answer, but I've thought about college for a long time. I have a very solid list of schools I'm applying to, and I'm ahead of the game in terms of essays and my Common Application. Honestly, I just want to be able to send applications as soon as possible. I have lots of other things I'm worrying about that don't involve college applications, so relieving that stress will be a major help to me.

Have you taken an SAT or ACT lately? Do you expect to be submitting test scores for applications?

I took the ACT for the first time during the spring of my sophomore year, and I have taken it twice since then. My first score was a 34, and my two scores after that were both 33. I figured that a 34 is in the same range as a 36, so I started investing my time into other aspects of my student profile. I plan on submitting my test scores. I will say, I'm a National Merit Semi-Finalist, so I anticipate that I will have to take the SAT in order to fulfill the requirements for my Finalist application. That's a bit stressful, considering I never thought I would have to take the SAT. So we'll see how that turns out!

How complete is your college list right now? What schools are you already sure you’ll apply to? What else is currently on your list, even if you may drop it from your list?

My college list is solid and concrete. I'm very happy with my list of schools, because they are realistic and I'm genuinely passionate about all of them. I'm applying to Ohio University, Indiana University, DePaul University, Boston University, American University, Syracuse University, Northwestern University, and the University of Georgia. I seriously believe I will be happy and successful going to any of these schools, so at this point I'm just looking forward to figuring things out. Plus, eight is the magic number in my opinion.

What are you looking for in a college? What’s most important to you?

You may notice that the schools I plan on applying to are all very different in terms of size, location, culture, etc. That's because campus feel has never really been a major factor for me. What connects all of these schools is that they have incredible programs in three areas: journalism/film, international relations, and foreign language. Those are my three most important academic requirements for each school I'm applying to. I also wanted to ensure that each school had a student-run television station or broadcast department. I've found that student-led programs provide for incredible experiential learning opportunities, and I plan to take full advantage of those to help propel me towards my career. In addition, I emphasized schools with access to study abroad programs and internships. 

Have you been on any college campuses, either for a tour or for any other reason? How familiar/comfortable are you with being on a college campus?

I've toured over 20 college campuses. Out of the eight schools I'm applying to, I have visited six of their campuses. I feel so comfortable on every one of them, which was definitely a factor in keeping them on my list. Visiting so many schools early on in my high school career allowed me to figure out what I do and don't like about different types of campuses, and provided the perspective for me to ask the right types of questions while on those visits.

Are you a first-generation college student? 

I am not a first-generation college student. My mother graduated with a bachelors and masters degree in Journalism from Northwestern, and my dad graduated from the Art Academy of Cincinnati with an Art History degree.

Is college something that’s expected for you, or does it feel like more of an option?

When I was growing up, my mother always emphasized the importance of education and the role it plays in our daily lives. She passed away suddenly when I was in fourth grade, and it was her dying wish that I go to college and study something that really makes me love what I do. Ever since then, I've known this was my path. My younger brother plans on going to vocational school, but I've always known I would go to college. It's certainly a privilege to be able to say that, and it's not one that I take lightly by any means. I am so fortunate to be able to have confidence in my ability to attend the school I want to go to. 

Is there anything you currently don’t know about the college application process that you wish you did?

I feel very in-the-loop in terms of the college application process. I do feel as though there aren't enough resources to help students figure out the supplemental essay portions, but other than that I feel like there are billions of resources available for me to answer any questions I may have.

Is there anything else about you that would be important or interesting to know?

I have a strong background in both social justice and journalism/film, and I ultimately hope to become a documentary producer abroad. I'm so excited to begin my journey in a new part of the country, to grow as a person and a scholar while also making new friends and experiencing new things.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, here are three easy things you can do:

1. Share it on your social media feeds so your friends and colleagues can see it too.

2. Check out interviews with other Meet the Class seniors.

3. Ask a question in the comments section.

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