BHS HELPS SENIORS WITH THEIR
COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS
By Julia Ramsaroop
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Applying to colleges as a high school senior can be an overwhelming process, therefore it is important to be informed about deadlines in order to be prepared ahead of time. A significant part of the college process includes filling out important documents such as the FAFSA, CSS profile, and TAP.
Before each year of college, students apply for federal grants, work-study opportunities, and loans through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which became available on October 1st, 2021. This data allows colleges to determine one’s federal aid eligibility in comparison with how much the state will offer a family to send their child to college. Many colleges may also utilize the CSS Profile, which also deals with offering college specific financial aid. Lastly, The New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) helps eligible New York residents pay tuition at approved schools in New York State.
Aside from financial aid deadlines, colleges themselves also provide differing deadlines for each type of application. Many colleges allow students to apply through early action or early decision, which allows students to apply to their first-choice schools sooner than regular decision candidates. The major difference between these two options is that early decision plans are restricted; a student who is acknowledged as an early decision candidate is required to attend the college, even if they are accepted by other colleges of their choice. On the other hand, applying with early action is non-restricting; students will receive their acceptance/rejection letter from a college earlier than regular decision students, but they do not need to commit until the normal reply date of May 1st.
With all these deadlines, Bayside High School has created a senior Google Classroom page in order to post frequent updates regarding senior events, available scholarships, and upcoming college fairs hosted in or outside of school.
Due to last year being so different from many others, students have been tasked with overcoming obstacles in order to prepare for college. Bayside High School senior Laila Sharp said, “It has been a difficult time for me to get adjusted to school itself, especially after the pandemic. However, I am hopeful for the future and will take my time with my college essay and other supplements.”
Correspondingly, Bayside High School senior Jayden Wells added, “I never thought about college until September, but with my English teacher’s help and by joining clubs for seniors, I think I will be able to complete my college application to the best of my ability.”
On the other hand, some seniors have already submitted applications as early as October. Bayside High School senior Ryan Li said, “I applied early decision to this one college I really want to attend. I wanted to get it out of the way.”
Bayside High School senior Abitha Challan agreed. “Submitting some of my applications early really has relieved pressure. I believe the earlier, the better.”
While the timelines differ, most colleges set November cutoff times for early decision and early action and send out their decisions around mid-December. However, regular decision applications are usually due by early or mid January, with a guarantee of receiving an admission decision no later than April 1st.