A Productive Application Week for Seniors

During the week of September 11-15, PVS seniors worked on preparing their college applications as well as completing various tasks, such as the Common Application, applying for scholarships, requesting recommendation letters, deciding which colleges to apply to, creating resumes, and writing personal and supplemental essays.

Many PVS seniors have demanding schedules, which require them to balance multiple obligations, including rigorous courses, participation in clubs, and maintaining their extracurricular activities. As a result, many seniors find it challenging to squeeze college applications into their already packed schedules. Thankfully, the PVS administration has put a pause on the students’ regular classes for a week in order for them to focus solely on college applications.

The College Counseling Center, located in front of the back soccer field, recently opened, giving students the chance to concentrate on their applications in a quiet environment. Students were able to maximize their productivity because there were no outside distractions.

The school's college counselor, Mrs. Jennifer Cartwright-Alejo, created a schedule to help students make the most of their time during application week. Dr. Malley, Mrs. Jennifer, and Ms. Amal Altareb gave a brief speech to the seniors every morning, offering guidance on applications or motivation to get through the week despite how demanding it was.

Throughout the week, each student was allocated a 30-minute private meeting with Mrs. Alejo to discuss upcoming plans, and their final college list, get any questions answered, and go through their personal essay. Students organized themselves into groups before the college application week, and during the week they sat down with the other members of their groups to peer-review their personal essays. They also met with Ms. Altareb in private throughout the day to receive one-on-one assistance with the application.

Senior Ramlah Rahman shared her experience with common application week, saying, “I am glad we were able to have a week dedicated towards working on college applications. I was able to work on all aspects of the application process without having to worry about my other classes. Overall, I feel more prepared and confident, Alhamdulillah.”

After Common Application Week, students felt more confident in the process all thanks to the assistance from Mrs. Alejo and Ms. Altareb, as well as their hard work and time over the last week. They were glad to be able to spend their entire week preparing for the colleges they plan to attend in the fall of 2024. Students will still need to find the time to complete their applications outside of class or throughout the school week because there is still a lot for them to do.