TOP STUDENTS MOVING ON UP

Most high-school seniors seem so self-assured -- after all, they've mastered the school routines, know many teachers and are on a first-name basis with the guidance counselors. On top of that, many schools lavish them with privileges, such as prime parking spots, separate dining rooms and early dismissal from classes.

But many seniors do not feel that they are mistresses and masters of the universe. College applications loom large and cause much self-reflection.

Some students like what they see -- they've worked hard throughout their academic careers, and they are optimistic about their chances of getting in the school of their choice. Others, however, struggle with self-doubt; maybe their grade- point averages are below par, or their academic record suffers from too much socializing or a lack of maturity.

Y-Press asked a handful of its seniors to share some of their observations on the college application process.

Two of them are at the top of their classes: Jenna Smith is co-valedictorian at Tech High School, and Emma Hulse is in the top 2 percent of her class at North Central.

Others have made their mark with extracurricular activities. Katie Qualkinbush has spent long hours on Lawrence North's yearbook staff and on her art portfolio. Brian Reissaus of Carmel High has devoted much of his time to student exchange trips, karate and Y-Press. Alicia Strong, also from North Central, is active in her church and its outreach ministry in Zimbabwe.

Three know where they will be next year, and two still are waiting to hear from all of the schools to which they've applied.

Here are their thoughts, in their own words.

Katie Qualkinbush, 17

The hardest part about applying for college is that this one decision, this one choice, will affect your whole life. It determines where you live, who you meet and what you become. It is by far the most nerve-wracking experience I have gone through.

Since middle school, I've known that I wanted to be a journalist, and I wanted to go to a prestigious university. Once in high school I started doing research on prospective colleges, and I came across the University of Missouri at Columbia. While I was intrigued by its journalism curriculum, it was not until I visited the campus during my junior year that I fell in love. Mizzou is the world's first journalism school and consistently ranks among the best.

But I worried that I wouldn't get in. I've been a successful student all my life -- except my freshman year. When high school came around, I was not ready to take anything seriously. Everything was so big and new, and my life became centered on football games and social gatherings. My grades weren't horrible -- I didn't fail any classes or anything, but let's just say they weren't worthy of praise.

After freshman year I really cracked down, but it's very hard to bounce back and have a credible grade-point average after a mediocre year. My ACT scores were fine, but I was biting my nails on whether or not my GPA would cause me to be rejected by my school of choice. As I filled out my application to Mizzou last August, I remembered what my former English teacher said: No matter where you end up for college, it will be a great experience, and you can prove yourself wherever you may be.

When I received the acceptance letter three weeks later, I was so relieved. My father got online and ordered us oodles of Mizzou gear. It was like Christmas! But it was a tough time, too. Despite all of my father's excitement, he was very ill. He was undergoing radiation therapy for cancer and was hardly sleeping.

He is back at work now and getting better every day. But when I ask him what he remembers about me applying for colleges, he says "very little." I'm sad that he wasn't well enough to share that time with me, but I count my blessings that he is well enough now to send me off.

Emma Hulse, 18

College admissions offices kill a lot of trees. Any average high school student first recognizes this fact their sophomore year, when letters arrive assuring "students who want to change the world, like you, (insert name here)" will fulfill their potential and go on to make millions, win a Nobel Prize, join the ranks of our highly esteemed alumni, etc.

I think I should take the opportunity to apologize to all those colleges, not to mention the trees, for wasting their time. For me, college was never about the millions or the Nobel Prizes: I want to use my college years to find my identity and intellectual footing, and take my first big step into an even bigger world.

This is perhaps why I've wanted to go to Columbia University in New York City since my freshman year. From the first minute I visited, and after spending a month on campus for a summer program, I could see myself sitting on the steps of Low Library, enjoying a cup of coffee and good conversation at the Hungarian Pastry Shop and morphing into an adult in one of the most exciting cities, and universities, in the world. It's a dream that has kept me going throughout four years of hard work and little sleep. It paid off: After applying early-decision last fall -- and spending the longest November of my life wringing my hands -- I was accepted in December. Even my dad was jumping up and down.

Columbia wasn't the only school I loved: Swarthmore, Wellesley and University of Chicago, three of my other options, are fabulous schools, and I could have been equally happy at any of them. My dad tells me constantly that your education is ultimately what you put into it, and I think he's right. After four years of dreaming of college, I realize that, in the end, it doesn't matter where you get accepted. I'm the same person I was on the day before I was admitted, and I would be if I hadn't gotten the thick envelope. What matters is that you become the smartest, kindest person you possibly can, and find a way to pay your good luck forward.

Jenna Smith, 17

When I first began applying to college, the effort required seemed larger than life. Now, the work is behind me, but the decision still looms. Where will I spend the next four years of my life? Sunny Memphis? Diverse Washington, D.C.? Snowy St. Paul? Small-town North Carolina?

At the beginning of my senior year, I sorted through correspondence from schools and narrowed my choices. I wanted a small liberal-arts school because I don't have a clue what I want to major in. I wanted to be able to travel abroad for at least a semester during college. I wanted to be in a city for the fast-paced lifestyle. For at least one of these reasons, I applied to Rhodes College, American University, Macalester College, and Davidson College.

I'm anxious for responses, though I don't expect to receive any until the beginning of March. Even though I applied in December, some parts of my application didn't arrive at Macalester. I've re-sent those parts and am hoping that will solve my problem.

The best advice I've gotten about choosing a college came from my parents: Visit my top choices. I've visited a college where I felt like I was home, and I've visited a college where I felt like an outsider as soon as I stepped on campus. These feelings came from my gut and didn't always have concrete reasons behind them.

When I make my decision in April, it will be a huge weight off my shoulders. I'm going to consider many factors, such as academic options, scholarships, financial aid packages, gut feelings and location. I will seek the advice of my parents, but I know when it comes down to the final decision, I have to make my own choice. I hope it will be the right one for me.

Brian Reissaus, 18

When people first think about applying to college, they review their GPA. I was never enthusiastic about attending Carmel High School -- I saw it as a way station until college. For that reason, I did most of my learning through extracurricular activities.

My grades are solid, but most of the knowledge I've gained is from outside the classroom. I've been to Japan and Germany, in student exchanges, and I've been to Brazil and Russia with Y-Press.

In my travels, I've learned about the "real" world. I've seen what it's like to live with nothing in Brazil, and I've observed the fading hope of Russians. In Japan and Germany, the standards of living are much more comparable to the United States, but their cultures allowed me to look at world events through another prism. But in all places I was able to talk to my peers, and it spurred my interest in international relations.

I first saw George Washington University in Washington, D.C., when I tagged along on my brother's visit to Georgetown. The application process was stressful, and my habit of waiting till the last minute didn't help. But once I sat down and pounded out my essays, I felt like extracurriculars would be the determining factor in my acceptance.

I applied early decision to GW and waited just over a month for a reply. A stellar GPA would have been an asset, but so were the things I did outside school.

Alicia Strong, 17

In my last semester of high school, I can finally sit back and relax. I have been accepted to Earlham College, the University of Indianapolis and the University of Evansville, and I have been offered scholarships from all three.

The financial support is especially helpful because I have a twin and we are both off to college in the fall. But in some ways, it makes my decision more difficult. Like many other seniors, I have not decided where I'll go. That's OK, since I have until May to make the decision.

In the meantime, my guidance counselor and our school's college coordinator are involved in my college decision. They have supported me during the entire process -- helping me with the application and financial aid forms. Talking with them helps me weigh the pros and cons of each school, because they have helped students who go to all three. It helps to discuss all the angles and hear different points of view.

My goal is to become an elementary teacher, and my three college choices offer several options -- from peace and global studies to an elementary education degree.

I know in the end the decision has to be what's the best for me. And while acceptance is a large part of the process, I will spend the upcoming months deciding what is the right fit.

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Y-Press is a nonprofit news organization with offices in The Indianapolis Star building. Stories are researched, reported and written by teams of young people ages 10 to 18. For more information, call (317) 444-2010 or send an e-mail to ypress@in.net.

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