Bear River seniors are beginning to receive their long awaited college application responses, as some shared their experiences with their ‘dream college’ answers.
Going into college applications near the beginning of the school year, many seniors had an idea of their ‘dream college’ that they wished to attend the most. However, Counselor Mary Buhr cautioned this year’s juniors about how they should determine their ‘dream college’.
“First of all, I would caution juniors that what is a ‘dream college’ for one person may turn out to be a nightmare for another,” she said. “There are lots of factors to consider when trying to determine which college will be a good fit for a student: size, location, majors offered, campus life, costs, internship opportunities, etc … Your “dream college” will be unique to you, so don’t settle for choosing your friend’s dream college or for choosing a college that has a certain reputation.”
Senior Josie Booth, who was accepted into the University of California, Davis, shared the moment she heard that she was admitted.
“When I got accepted into UCD I cried tears of joy while calling my boyfriend, who also goes to UCD,” she said. “I’ve wanted to go to UC Davis since 5th grade. I was interested in their animal medicine program, and even though I changed my goals for my career, UCD still provided a good course to help me pursue it.”
Similarly, Noah Dunhower, a fellow senior, was accepted into University of Nevada, Reno, also expressed his relief in getting accepted into his dream college.
“It kind of just instantly made my day better since there hasn’t been much going on this year, and I’m really looking forward to graduating and moving on,” he said. “My first choice has been the University of Nevada, Reno for over a year now. They have a really good business school and music department, plus their campus is also very nice.”
Unfortunately, Senior Maddie Pratt received a different response from San Diego State where she had initially hoped to go, offering a piece of valuable advice to those in a similar situation.
“My dream college was San Diego State because they were in a great location, had a great program for my major, and they had an intramural option for the sport I play, but I was denied,” she said. “ … Just keep your head up and realize there are still so many options for you out there and maybe that just wasn’t the best one.”
Booth also added a piece of her own advice.
“Don’t stress about being denied,” she said. “You have options, and you could always transfer if you really want to … Hearing back from colleges is stressful, but take a deep breath and be patient.”
Mrs. Buhr continued to provide advice and resources to juniors who will be submitting their college applications during the next school year.
“ … Do everything you can to experience [in] an on-campus visit,” she said. “When you are on the campus, you will get a sense inside of you as to whether this is a place you can see yourself spending the next four years … And then I would encourage juniors to take advantage of summer opportunities to beef up their resume for college admissions. Volunteer. Participate in some kind of educational camp. Work. Draft your responses to personal insight questions or admission essays.”
She finally emphasized her excitement for those who have heard back from colleges.
“I am always happy to hear news of a student being accepted to their ‘dream college,’” she said. “I am happy that their hard work and determination have paid off. I feel very proud.”
