As the ides of January draws close, a stressful time for Lincoln seniors also comes to an end – the time for college applications.
Of course, for many Lynx, the Seattle Promise program is their path for the coming years. The program provides free tuition at any of the 3 local Seattle Colleges for up to 2 years, guaranteeing either 90 credits or the student’s first degree. Back in November, the administration hosted a signup event in all senior mentorships, ensuring that everyone would receive some form of further education post-high school.
The University of Washington provides another enticing option for many seniors. Unlike most post-high school options, its application deadline was all the way back in mid-November. Like its atypical deadline, its application requirements are far from the usual – no recommendation letters, no Common Essay submission, and more.
However, for those accepted there, the University of Washington is sure to provide a great future for the next four years, with some publications ranking it as one of the top 20 universities in the world. Application results will be out in March.
The requirements for the University of Washington seem immediately abnormal to most seniors, as for the past months, a great focus has been on essays, extracurriculars, etc.
However, for some younger Lynx, the application process may be unfamiliar.
A typical application is done through the online CommonApp portal. The applicant fills out all their demographic information: race, gender identity, education, and more. Next, the applicant must enter the data from their high school transcript; then, it’s onto extracurricular activities.
In recent years, extracurriculars have proven to be an incredibly important piece of a college application. Their fundamental purpose is to demonstrate to colleges that the applicant is a well-rounded individual, as well as someone who is involved in their community. Extracurriculars and grades are not the only factors used in application – one final piece is, of course, essays.
The CommonApp attempts to simplify the essay-writing process by allowing applicants to submit one “Common Essay” to all institutions they plan to apply to. Not all institutions accept this Common Essay, such as the University of Washington. Besides the Common Essay, most colleges and universities also ask for shorter supplemental essays, usually around 250 or 350 words maximum.
The University of Washington has a supplemental essay of its own, asking applicants to describe their community and how they would contribute to the diversity of the university. Most schools have similar prompts; some prompts, like those for the University of Chicago, are zanier: “Name two things that undo each other and explain why both are necessary,” and, “What can actually be divided by zero?” are two found on their website.
The University of Chicago and the University of Washington are just two of 6000 colleges and universities that Lynx can apply to in the United States. While senior Easton Young’s top university is the University of Washington, for his fellow student Kieran Morrison-Sandoval, that spot goes to Duke University.
Whatever college each student ends up attending, it’s still a monumental step for them going forward. Most colleges and universities release their admission results in early-to-mid spring. Until then, seniors will just have to hold their breath.
