In fewer than three months, the senior students must make a final decision on where they all will be attending college; in about seven months, they will need to be ready to leave home. They all are currently at a different step in the college process. Some students have made a decision on the college they will be attending, some have received all of their admission letters back but still have to decide, and some seniors have not received even one of their notifications. 

“I think that everyone at Holy Cross is a little ready for college, but this is the first time that we are all going through the process of applying,” senior Isabella Ayalew said.

Since this is the first time that the class of 2023 is going through the college process, it is both stressful and nerve racking. Students are nervous about leaving home, not knowing where they will end up, or having to go to a new place with people they have never met. Other students are ready to leave home and start new.

“I can’t wait to be away from my family,” Ayalew commented. “I’m always helping and want a break to be away from everyone.”

Other students are looking forward to the new environment and opportunities that college will bring for them. When the seniors at Holy Cross go off to college they will be exposed to new experiences and will get to choose which classes they get to take.

“I want to be able to explore more opportunities and take classes that are specific to what I’m interested in,” Anna Jasinski commented. “I also think it will be interesting to live with different people.”

For the class of 2023 to get to this point in the college process, they had to get through the long and stressful application process. At Holy Cross, juniors start meeting with their college counselors after winter break, which is when they begin their applications.

“Starting the college process earlier is beneficial so that the students are not rushed,” Director of College Counseling Jennifer Auchmoody said. “The process isn’t difficult but it is time consuming, so by starting the process sooner there will be less stress.”

Even though starting the process earlier might relieve some of the stress, it can still be stressful when actually trying to choose the college where they want to spend the next four years. 

“I have found that choosing which college I want to go to is stressful because I don’t know what I’m looking for in a college yet,” Jasinski said. “If I could do this process over again, I would keep my options broad when applying for colleges.”

It is also difficult for the students to pick one college when they are trying to determine which college is the perfect school for them. Although, there can be multiple schools that are perfect and the seniors just have to pick the one that feels best for them.

“Oftentimes students think there is a perfect college but both might be great. They have to lean into which feels like the better fit, knowing that they both are.”

The Academy of the Holy Cross does an extraordinary job preparing the students for college,” Auchmoody stated. The girls are academically and socially ready for this big step.

“Holy Cross prepares students in academics and in writing and researching. Holy Cross gives the girls a good understanding of their value in the community,” Auchmoody said. “I have heard from many colleges that Holy Cross girls hit the ground running with campus involvement when they get to college.”