By Holly Dayton, ’13, Contributor
While seniors are battling senioritis and juniors are overloaded with work, many freshmen are stressing about their college prospects. In preparation for their futures, 11 freshmen took the January SAT at CCDS this year, accounting for 18% of high students taking the test on that day. Assistant to College Counseling Yvonne Green said that this year one or two freshmen have been present at all ACTs and SATs administered at CCDS.
The increase in freshmen taking the test partially results from the Northwestern University talent search program, which allows high-scoring ninth graders to participate for the first time this year. The talent search was previously only available to seventh and eighth graders with qualifying scores on standardized tests. The program also provides summer and supplementary learning opportunities for talent search students. This opportunity was not wasted on the freshmen, the majority of whom scored very well. Their scores ranged from low 1600s to 1900s and higher.
Mrs. Green said that taking the SAT and ACT as a freshmen can actually prove imprudent in the college process. Whereas MS test scores are not part of a student’s permanent record, ninth grade test scores are. As a result, Mrs. Green said that students may have to end up sending low freshman year scores to colleges.
The college worries of many current freshmen transcend standardized testing.
Some students, like Ani Kosaraju, ’13, argue for freshman college preparation. He claims that “some seniors that I’ve spoken to, both at CCD and at other schools, wish they had taken advantage of freshman opportunities that might have looked better on a college transcript.”
Michael Barton, ’13, is firmly against slacking off or taking an easy freshman year. His philosophy is to “work as hard as you can each [and] every year and put forth your best effort.”
The concept of freshmen worrying about college “seemed new” to Director of College Counseling Sarah Beyreis, who preferred not to use words as harsh as “absurd” or “ridiculous,” but was more of a mind that this trend was “unique” in the current freshman class, as evinced by the high number of freshman SAT takers. Science Department Chair Tim Dunn and English Department Chair Pat Dunn answered similarly, both finding it a truly ridiculous example of forethought.
Yet, their beliefs do not prevent freshmen from being concerned about college.
Abby McInturf, ’13, finds college stress inevitable in some cases. “The topic of college is always on your mind, and your siblings are going through the stress, and it just gets to you too.”
While worrying about college can push many students to excel, it can also have negative impacts. Mrs. Beyreis warns the freshmen not to become so concerned with getting perfect grades and extracurriculars on a transcript that they lose sight of finding what they truly enjoy doing.T
Photo by Ilana Habib, ’11