by Lisa Charmoff
Sunday, December 2, 2007
provided by

NORWALK - When Kaylani Williams first heard this was likely to be the most competitive year for college admissions, the Norwalk High School senior felt uneasy.

But as she has begun to apply to seven schools, with the goal of becoming a nurse, she has learned to relax.

"You just have to sit back and take a breath, and as long as you're doing what you have to do . . . you know there's nothing to worry about," said Kaylani, whose top choice is Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.

It's an anxious time for high school seniors as application deadlines approach, and these days, it's not uncommon for students to apply to a half-dozen or more schools to increase their chances of being accepted somewhere.

"We have seen the whole process become very unpredictable," said Dawn Leeds, chairwoman of Brien McMahon High School's Guidance Department. "We're hitting the edge of the baby boomers' babies."

There also are financial reasons for the competition, said Norwalk High guidance counselor Dan Sullivan.

"Middle-of-the-road schools are enticing better students by giving better financial aid packages," Sullivan said.

The University of Connecticut has become the top public college in New England, Sullivan said, and while it has to accept a certain percentage of students from the state, that creates more competition.

Finances are a major factor in the application process, Sullivan said. He has encouraged students to select financial safety schools, as well as academic ones.

For some students, the price of application fees, which can range from $50 to $75, is a factor in deciding the schools to apply to, Leeds said.

The College Board, a not-for-profit association that administers college testing and offers other services, provides fee waivers for students from low-income families, but the maximum they can receive is four.

At Norwalk High School, students had until the end of last month to finish applications, a deadline set by the guidance department two years ago to ensure all applications are sent in on time.

Some students have unique tactics. Sullivan recalled one student three years ago who filmed a day-in-the-life video that helped him get into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Last year, 95 percent of Norwalk High's 357 seniors went on to pursue higher education. Students have been accepted at elite Ivy League schools, including Columbia and Harvard universities.

Sullivan said the school's strategy for students includes talking about the application process from the time they are freshmen, and developing a four-year plan.

By the time students are juniors, they start the process in earnest with a college night in February.

Earlier this week, senior Jacob Taylor was busy finishing his last applications.

Jacob is applying to nine schools, most known for their journalism and communications programs, including Boston University, George Washington University and the University of Texas at Austin. His safety school is the University of Massachusetts.

"Some kids consider it a lot, and some kids consider it a few," Jacob said of his nine applications.

One thing that has eased Taylor's anxiety is a common tactic - applying "early action," which doesn't require a binding decision, but gives students the advantage of knowing sooner when they have been admitted.

Taylor received an early action acceptance from Tulane University in New Orleans.

"To know that you're in so early, it really lifts the weight of your shoulders," Taylor said.

Katherine Cohen, who worked in admissions at Yale University and is the founder of ApplyWise, an online college admissions coaching service, advised students to fully research colleges before making a decision on where to apply, and not just applying to several schools to increase the chances of being admitted.

"You know that you're looking at the right school," Cohen said. "If you're armed with information you're going to feel a lot less stressed out about things. I think generally what causes the anxiety is not knowing."