Senior Clay Corsbie juggles homework, college applications, and scholarships as graduation draws closer. Photo by: Lauren Rearick
By Lauren Rearick
Senior year is a whirlwind of college applications, scholarships, graduation arrangements, and planning for the future. It can also be a time of high stress and anxiety for students as they prepare for the next chapter of their lives.
One of the hardest decisions for students to make is which schools they wish to apply to. For senior Heather Schrome, the decision-making process was centered around research and college visits. “I first looked at what big name schools were around Indiana, and I chose the schools that attracted me the most,” she said. “I applied and then the two that I was most interested in, I visited and then chose from there which one I planned on going to if I got accepted.” Senior Clay Corsbie also chose to apply to a number of Indiana schools, including Valparaiso, Trine, and Bethel.
Each student found stress in a number of forms, from standardized testing to the search for college scholarships. Schrome said, “Meeting all the deadlines and getting scholarships around to be able to pay for college once I get accepted is the most stressful part for me.” Corsbie found the scholarship search and essay writing to be the incredibly stressful. “The 600 word essay for Purdue was really hard and took a lot of time. It stressed me out,” Corsbie said.
Finding a way to cover the immense cost of attending college has been the main focus of many seniors. Corsbie said, “I am applying for many scholarships, one of which is the Coca Cola Scholarship.” Schrome has also begun the search for scholarships and grants in hopes of cutting the cost of tuition. “I have been applying for every scholarship that is available to me,” said Schrome. “The biggest one I am currently applying for is the Centier Bank national scholarship.”
As seniors wrap up their high school careers and begin a new chapter of their lives, they are faced with high levels of stress and life-changing decisions. From college selection to financial aid applications and scholarships, Plymouth High School seniors certainly have their work cut out for them during these final pre-graduation months.