“It’s important to understand that you have an infinite amount of paths you can take in your life,” Anna Fischer, a Milford 2020 graduate said. “If one of these paths doesn’t work out for you, you can always create another path. Chances are your life won’t go exactly how you planned it.” As the class of 2023 is surrounded by a sea of essays, recommendations and questionnaires, Fischer, a junior at the University of Michigan, offers a powerful reminder to seniors during the midst of their college admissions journey.

Before completely taking this process on, many students opt to attend college campus tours in-person or even virtually. This allows students to get a better sense of the college’s atmosphere to help determine if it is well-suited for them. These tours can be extremely important in deciding whether or not their “dream college” will actually be the right environment for one’s academic, athletic and social experience.

Milford senior Mackenzie Stauss began visiting colleges over the summer. “I would definitely say that touring the campuses was super beneficial for me,” Stauss said. “The University of Michigan was like my number one for so many years, but after touring the campus and comparing it to others, I didn’t think it was as good of a fit for me.” Stauss then revealed that Clemson and Purdue are now her top choices because she loves both of the atmospheres.

Current Milford High School counseling intern, Carrie VanGorder, offers some important advice for picking the right schools. “You’re going to always make new friends in college… So you don’t have to go just where your friends are going. It should be a good fit for you personally,” VanGorder said.

After determining which colleges to apply to and beginning applications, a substantial portion of the work lies in the personal essay. The hard part about this essay is finding ways to differentiate oneself from other applicants. “Do not tell the university what they already know,” said Milford 2021 graduate, Samantha Spray. “The University of Michigan knows it has a great biology program; what they do not know is why you belong in that great biology program. Tell them that.”

Spray, a current student at New York University, continued to expand on the importance of highlighting the special aspects that make each individual student’s life and personality stand apart in the crowd. “I would advise current students filling out their applications to not focus on the statistics and instead try to focus on what makes them stand out amongst a large applicant pool,” Spray said.

Milford High School counselor, Beverly Groth, gives her take on what she believes it’s important to address in a college essay. “I think I would always want to go with something that really impacted my life. Something that I’m really passionate about and have maybe been an advocate for,” Groth said. She also added that a “health issue, mental health issue or parent situation,” are topics that students could choose to write about.

With all of the work that the essays and questionnaires provide, it would seem that students would be most overwhelmed by the intense time management required to complete the task. However, in a small survey of Milford High School seniors, 30% confessed that the most overwhelming part of applying is not the amount of work itself, but rather the unnerving thought of finally finding out which colleges they have been accepted into.

When one considers the prestigious programs many students are striving to attend, this fear becomes more rational. For example, the goal for many students at Milford High School is the University of Michigan which maintains an intense acceptance rate of 26.1%.

However, Groth offers reassurance to those worried about when the time finally comes to open up those college letters or emails. “Rejection letters are not a rejection of you as a person,” said Groth. She wants students to remember that “Oftentimes, our first choice is not necessarily what would be the best fit for us.”

Although these elite universities intrigue many high school seniors, it’s crucial to find a balance between the rigorous college application process and high school experiences. “I was planning for my future so much during my senior year that I retreated into my thoughts and isolated myself,” Fischer said.

For Milford seniors, this is the final year as one united class, so make sure to enjoy these final moments with fellow friends and peers. Most importantly, remember that no matter where everyone ends up, it’s always possible to find success and happiness, with a community of past, current and future Mavericks in full support.