As the first semester at Bronx Science approaches its end, the seniors of Bronx Science have been arduously finishing the various challenges involved with the college applications process. Over the years, this process has become more rigorous, and it now demands far more out of students than it did a decade ago.

While the Bronx Science name provides a great boon to its students’ college dreams, it comes with a burden of expectations for those who own it. Many students face high expectations from parents and from society at large regarding where they go to college. This creates an added level of stress to the college process as a whole, much more pressure than when actually completing the applications themselves. 

Along with the stress of decision-making comes the large amount of work involved. While the majority of seniors that have already completed their ACTs and SATs, all seniors also must go through the laborious process of college essay writing. Beyond just the Common Application essay, most colleges require students to write smaller supplementary essays. These supplemental essays add a larger workload dependent on the number of colleges that a student applies to.

Along with the demands of college essays comes the requirement of the SAT subject tests. These tests reveal proficiency in a specific subject, such as Biology, and they are falsely held by some to be a golden ticket in regards to college admissions. The reality is that these tests hold a small amount of weight in the overall college application, and they are only necessary when a college requires it as a prerequisite to entry. Despite this, many students still take these subject tests in order to increase their odds of admission.

“I have taken multiple subject tests with the sole hope of improving my chances of college enrollment,” said Joshua Isak ‘18, “I feel that the tests added to my overall workload.”

As time goes by, the college process becomes more intense and time consuming, given the increasing number of students applying to the same pool of top schools and the decreasing overall admissions rates.

Beyond just seniors, underclassmen feel the pressure of looming college applications as well. Many juniors are already lined up to take their standardized tests before the new year. Many more juniors and sophomores are taking more advanced classes and participating in extensive extracurriculars in order to increase their chances of getting into their desired future colleges.

As time goes by, the college process becomes more intense and time consuming, given the increasing number of students applying to the same pool of top schools and the decreasing overall admissions rates. Whether it is demanding standardized tests, numerous college essays, or exceedingly high expectations, the stress of the college application process is omnipresent until students’ admissions letters roll in.