Seniors Make College Decisions

After having spent hours writing essays and personal statements, gathering recommendations, and preparing resumes, many seniors received their college admission notices only a few weeks ago, marking the end of the 2015-2016 undergraduate admission cycle. However, many students are still undecided about their futures.

Numerous factors come into their heads, such as location, class size, majors, and tuitions.

“I still don’t know where I want to go,” said Kate Park, a senior at Korea International School, to JSR. “I’ve been looking at numerous sources of information over the past few days.”

As seniors vigorously search for answers, they consult people who work at the colleges, current students, the colleges’ official websites, and college search websites.

“School environment, location, and tuition are factors we definitely need to consider,” said William Lee, a sophomore at Washington University of St. Louis, to JSR.

“But we also need to keep in mind the extracurriculars and the academic programs colleges offer,” he added. “I was in the debate team and school orchestra in my high school years, and I’m still pursuing them here.”

Colleges offer a wide range of extracurricular activities that include orchestras, student government, forensics, and sports. Prospective students should evaluate whether the campus environment supports their fields of interest.

But, while seniors wait for acceptance letters to arrive, their parents hope for envelopes from Financial Aid offices. As much as education provides the main picture of a college, a little financial reality also needs to be painted.

“I took several days to talk it out with my parents,” Judy Kim, a senior at Seoul International School, told JSR.

The “Universal Reply” deadline – the date when most schools require accepted students to decide whether or not they will attend – is Friday, May 1, and students now must make their final decisions about next year.