For senior Sriya Thammisetti, the end of the first quarter brought even more stress as the early deadlines for college application approached.
The traditional Nov. 1 due date for early decision and early action applicants coincided almost perfectly with the last day of the first quarter on Oct. 30, causing seniors to juggle last-minute coursework with college plans.
“I haven’t been handling [the end of the quarter] well,” Thammisetti said. “It has been stressful, so I haven’t been able to allocate my time well between my school work and college apps.”
Senior Branson Whitehead said he had a good system in place to stay on track with his applications, despite the large number of schools.
“I feel that I have put more of my focus into school work than college apps.” Whitehead said. “However, I try to make sure that I keep up with the deadlines I set for myself and try to apply before the date the application is due.”
With online school and limited office hours, Thammisetti said she struggled to find the time to get help with her college essays.
“If I was at school, I would’ve been able to go to the College and Career Center for advice during Learn,” Thammisetti said. “But, given the pandemic, I only have time to go to my office hours for my classes.”
Thammisetti said she feels as though the early deadlines have added pressure because of their proximity to the end of the quarter.
“Any college deadline is very nerve-wracking,” Thammisetti said. “For regular decisions, you have more time to work on your essay [and] supplements, so it eases the pressure of the [early] deadline.”