Breya has finished applications

Breya’s school situation is still in Covid-related chaos, but her college application process is right on track. She’s applied to 10 schools, already been accepted to four (congratulations!), and is expecting financial aid information soon. Read the full interview below.

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. 

Breya attends a public high school in Ohio

Last month you were worried that this semester might end up being "like a ton of bricks." How's it going so far at school? And how's your Phlebotomy prep going?

School is still the same right now, but it isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. We are supposed to be going back in the end of March. I’m not sure if I am going to go back or not though. My Phlebotomy prep is going great so far. We are learning about the different tubes and tube tops, along with the sizes of needles.

Did you get your 10th application out? Did you throw in any other last-minute changes to your list? Have you heard back from anyone yet?

Yes, I got my last application out. I didn’t change anything else about my list. I heard back from Ohio State and I got in. I have gotten into all of my Early Action schools (Xavier, Hampton, Ohio State, North Carolina A&T). I probably won’t hear from any other schools until later as I applied to them for Regular Decision.

A major topic in college admissions for the past year has been testing and colleges going test optional. Did you submit SAT or ACT scores with any of your applications? Did you have test scores to submit, and if so how do you go about deciding if you'd include them with your application?

Yes, I took the ACT twice and the SAT once. I only sent my test scores to two schools, which are Hampton and Howard. I only sent them because they were required for merit scholarships in the program I applied for. I only sent my highest ACT scores.

How's it going on the financial aid front? Are schools being realistic? Generous? Disappointing? How likely does it seem right now that your top-choice school will also be affordable?

It is going pretty good. I finished my FASFA before I started applying to schools so I should start getting my packets in a few weeks. For many of the schools, I would say between generous and disappointing. I will probably have to do work study or something along those lines wherever I go.

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

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Photo by Angela Elisabeth.

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Tyra is set in her path

It’s been a strange and difficult school year for the three seniors I’m following for Meet the Class. All of them have described chaotic and frustrating school experiences. All of their schools have had waves of Covid, and at least one of them had Covid herself. The year has been bad in so many ways.

Strangely enough, it’s been the calmest and most drama-free year of Meet the Class I’ve done in terms of college. By early February, two of the three have their college choices settled. When Tyra said last month that she was ready to coast through the end of high school and soak it all in, I was skeptical. But so far, so good! Read the full interview below.

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. 

Tyra attends a public high school in Iowa

Just checking: the plan is still to begin the vet tech program at Iowa Lakes next fall? Has any of that changed?

My plan has not changed one bit.

Most of the people I work with are still very much in the middle of things and waiting. Maybe they've got acceptances or deferrals from early admissions, but for the most part they still need to hear back from other places to know what's in store next fall. How does it feel to be done? You had one application and one plan B ready. Does that feel good? Do you have any tinges of "what could have been" had you applied to more places? Do you recommend more people begin at community college?

I have no regrets with my choice. I know what I want and I am excited to graduate. I am also empathetic towards my peers who are struggling with their acceptances and trying to decide where to go. I was actually waitlisted for my plan b school which ended up not being needed anyway.

Last month you mentioned needing to raise some money for dorm room shopping. Is that all the fundraising you're doing? Is your school affordable otherwise? Is there any financial aid involved?

I will rely heavily on financial aid as my mom is a single mother and my father is not in the picture. I currently have a job and am saving up my money in order to make it more affordable.

Your plan to relax and "soak in" your last semester--how is that going? Is all well?

It is going well, I am taking a lot of pictures with my friends and really realizing how much I will miss my high school.

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.

Apply with Sanity doesn’t have ads or annoying pop-ups. It doesn’t share user data, sell user data, or even track personal data. It doesn’t do anything to “monetize” you. You’re nothing but a reader to me, and that means everything to me.

Photo by Angela Elisabeth.

Apply with Sanity is a registered trademark of Apply with Sanity, LLC. All rights reserved.

Julianna has decided!

Julianna has some news: Boo Covid! Yay Bulldogs! Read the full interview below.

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

Last month you were very much in waiting mode. Has there been any news?

There has been lots of news since I last answered these question! I actually found out that I am a finalist for the University of Georgia’s Foundation Fellowship, which is their full ride scholarship program. There are 48 finalists, and after an interview weekend at the end of this month, 30 will be awarded the full scholarship. However, all finalists are automatically awarded Ramsey Scholarships, which are also extremely generous. With all of this in mind, and with UGA being my first choice anyway, I have committed! Go Dawgs!

How's it going on the financial aid front? Are schools being realistic? Generous? Disappointing? How likely does it seem right now that your top-choice school will also be affordable? I ask this question of almost everyone, but I know that you were hoping to specifically hear from UGA by the end of January.

I haven’t heard much about financial aid from my schools so far, and I’m still waiting on admissions decisions from Boston University, Northwestern, and Syracuse. Those are set to come in March. Although I’ve already committed, I’m looking forward to hearing back. I expect more financial aid information will be sent my way in the months to come.

How's school going? Are you still on campus and still relatively safe?

School has been good! We are fully in person. In the last week of January, I actually was diagnosed with COVID-19 and I’ve been at home. I’m going back to school this week though, so I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again and I’m feeling much better.

A major topic in college admissions for the past year has been testing and colleges going test optional. Did you submit SAT or ACT scores with any of your applications? Did you have test scores to submit, and if so how do you go about deciding if you'd include them with your application?

I am lucky enough to have been able to take the ACT multiple times, and each time I had a score in the high thirties. For me, submitting scores was a no brainer. I know that many students aren’t as fortunate to have that option though, and I believe that test optional admissions is the future, one step below eradicating standardized tests completely.

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.

Apply with Sanity doesn’t have ads or annoying pop-ups. It doesn’t share user data, sell user data, or even track personal data. It doesn’t do anything to “monetize” you. You’re nothing but a reader to me, and that means everything to me.

Photo by Angela Elisabeth.

Apply with Sanity is a registered trademark of Apply with Sanity, LLC. All rights reserved.