By Rebecca Nussbaum

Diana*

Diana applied to 21 schools regular decision, including film schools, liberal arts colleges and all nine UC campuses.

“I haven’t applied to any schools that don’t have media or film that I could major in,” she said.

Although Diana wants to wait to see which schools accept her, Kenyon College, Pitzer College and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts stand out on her list.

“I’m kind of scattered,” she said. “My top choices kind of change every day.”

Diana completed her college applications smoothly thanks to weekly meetings with an outside college counselor.

Beginning this summer, the counselor helped Diana with her essays and paced her so she didn’t procrastinate.

“It really helped to have that extra support,” she said.

Diana applied to three film schools in addition to NYU, Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television, USC School of Cinematic Arts and Boston University School of Theater.

These applications were more extensive than traditional applications, with essays asking about storytelling and collaborative working, two coresaspects of film. Some schools additionally ask for a student portfolio, so Diana submitted a five minute film that she made over the summer.

“I sent the DVD to all the schools as well,” Diana said. “I felt that if they had the opportunity to watch it, I guess I’d like them to see that.”

 

Leo*

After committing in September to a mid-sized university to play his sport, Leo was thrilled when he received his early decision acceptance in November.

He knew the exact time the decision would be available, so he checked his acceptance on his phone at school the minute he could, he said.

“I was expecting it, but you still can’t be 100 percent sure that everything will work out,” Leo said. “I was happy to finally have it in writing.

Leo then signed his national letter of intent on Feb. 1 at the dinner table, he said.

“I didn’t know it was a big deal,” he said. “I just did it with my family.”

Leo looks forward to visiting the university in April for an accepted students’ day, which will give his dad the opportunity to meet the coaches and see the campus.

In the meantime, Leo “definitely” has a bit of second semester senior syndrome, he said.

“It’s nice to have some of that,” he said.

 

Haley*

Vanderbilt University is in the minority of schools that sends admissions decisions via snail mail instead of email, which made Haley anxious as she waited for her decision

“I was getting really nervous because everyone was getting their letters online, and I didn’t know when mine was coming,” she said.

Haley was on a bus with her team to an away game when her mom called her to say that her Vanderbilt letter arrived.

“I couldn’t wait any longer,” Haley said.

So her mom opened the letter.

“She just screamed,” Haley said.

“I freaked out because I assumed that was a good thing.”

Soon everyone on the bus knew that Haley had been accepted, and it was nice to share that exciting moment with her teammates, she said.

Haley was also accepted Early Action to the University of Michigan, which she declined, as the Vanderbilt decision is binding.

 

Kyle*

After Yale University deferred his admission decision, Kyle made it his goal to prove himself and be accepted in the spring pool, he said.

“People say once you get deferred it feels like they don’t want you,” he said. “I took my defer as a chance to prove myself, and I treated it in a different way.”

This week Kyle is finalizing a letter to the Yale Admissions Office explaining why Yale is still his first choice.

“My dean told me it can’t be too long, so I have to make sure that I can get as much stuff as I can in one page,” he said.

Kyle’s favorite school besides Yale is probably Brown University, he said.

“That was always one of my top choice, and I probably would have applied there ED had I not gone to visit [Yale],” he said.

While Kyle’s college applications took over his winter break, he’s excited to be a second semester senior.

“I don’t have senioritis,” Kyle said, “It’s not that I’m not doing my homework, I just don’t ever have any. It really is a lot more laid-back.”