High school students weigh options, concerns when applying for college

Excitement, fear and anxiety are three common emotions among seniors applying to college.

For some students finding time to fill out the application itself causes anxiety, and for others it is the fear of not getting into their dream school.

But this year, a new fear is haunting the many students applying to college: whether they and their families will be able to afford tuition.

This year, many seniors are having to re-evaluate their college options, whether it is applying to state schools instead of private schools or applying to schools closer to home because they are cheaper. By applying to schools closer to home, students are able to save money on housing and fuel, and go to school for a fraction of the price of out-of-state schools.

"Federal funding has warned that financial aid won't be the same, and getting scholarships to schools will become a lot more competitive," says Kelly O'Quinn, a college counselor at Durango High School.

According to O'Quinn, parents are better able to cope by knowing and understanding the admission process.

First a student applies and, depending on whether they get accepted, parents look into scholarship opportunities or financial aid. If the college is too expensive and the student is unable to receive financial aid, then the parents are forced to send their child to another school.

The nationwide economic crisis has led some students to open their options when applying for college.

"If I find a school that may not be perfect, but it has a great scholarship opportunity or is a lot cheaper, then I'll apply," says Dylan Parr, a senior at The Meadows School.

Although finding financial aid is a huge concern for many seniors this year, there are also other concerns when it comes to the application process.

"Deadlines are what causes the most of my anxiety," Parr says. "Going to a school like The Meadows, does not help. It's as if the school does not realize that we are applying to college, so on top of applications I have a huge amount of homework to do a night."

Andrew Sloan, also a senior at The Meadows, says that fear of not getting in is his biggest anxiety when it comes to applying for college.

"We have been told that this is one of the hardest years to get into a university, with a rising number of applicants it's becoming an extremely competitive process," Sloan says.

Unlike Parr and Sloan, who are stressed by all the work and anxiety that comes with applying to college, Ruth Randall, also a senior at The Meadows, sees "the light at the end of the tunnel." The application process has been easier for Randall because she has been through it before when her brother Saul was applying a few years ago.

"I realize that I must complete the long application process if I want to have the kind of life Saul has," Randall says.