January 1, 2018. The day almost all college applications are due. For the longest time, Bronx Science seniors have been working their hardest on their college essays, and completing applications to send to the schools of their dreams. Now, after having clicked submit, apprehension gathers as they wait for their colleges to respond. Despite this anxiety, seniors are also feeling some relaxation.

“The waiting period makes me feel anxious, but for all the work I’ve put in the past four years, I hope it pays off,” said Kelly Xiao ’18. In this crucial time period, many seniors are hoping and trusting that their talents and academic prowess will be reflected by their upcoming college acceptances. For the last two years, seniors have been collecting raves and recommendations from their teachers to showcase their individuality.

“I’m glad that I got everything over with, and I honestly can’t wait for the results to come out, since I put in a lot of time and effort on my applications,” said Trisha Lee ’18. Spring break is also coming up, so seniors are preparing for this week and planning their activities as another way to relax and step away from college drama.

As great as seeing a Common Application full of green check marks feels, this bliss only lasted for so long. With academic course work in full swing during the second semester, seniors are stressing out once again. Seniors are constantly reviewing study guides, rewriting their notes, and striving to get the best score they possibly can in their academic coursework.

“The waiting period makes me feel anxious, but for all the work I’ve put in the past four years, I hope it pays off.”

Many schools still require mid-year reports, so keeping grades on par is still a priority for seniors. “I feel relieved about the process being done, but I am still feeling the pressure of midyears and keeping my grades intact,” Michelle Wong ’18 said.   Even so, some seniors continue to have deadlines other than January 1, 2018 to finish, so learning to balance all of these events will prove to be a vital skill for seniors.

However, there are a few seniors who are starting to anticipate their future careers in college.

“I feel like now I can relax a little, since each day is closer to Spring Break and graduation,” said Eric Jiang ’18. “The thought of going to a new school and leaving my friends is still in the back of my mind.”

Some seniors have gotten into their Early Decision or Early Action schools, so they are ready to start a new adventure. However, the thought of leaving friends behind still linger. 

Although there is excitement in the fact that seniors are moving on and creating their own future, the thought of leaving friends and familiarity behind is sad to contemplate. College life will be much different than high school, but seniors will be ready to have new beginnings. Ultimately, it falls to the gamble of what we call college applications.