14 hours of sleep through the entirety of junior year is possible

The best part of school ending: Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp

Feeling alone as you swim through the terrifying waters known as the college admission process? Have no fear! We have several seniors blogging about ups, downs, and random in-betweens of their college process for the next 12 months (from June 2015 to June 2016!). Sit back, relax, and get that “OMG I totally get you, bro” feeling. Information for how to contact a blogger will be at the bottom of his/her posts.

After twelve years of formal education, here I am: applying for college. I still vividly remember the first time I logged on to a university website; I was eleven and in fifth grade, and to me, it seemed as if I could do anything once I got that old. Funnily enough, I often still have that feeling, a sense that I know what the “right” path is but the knowledge that I could be successful in any number of fields.

Junior year has been the most emotionally and physically taxing, but I think it’s also been the most satisfying. I’ve been able to take more leadership positions in my school and community, and senior prom with my boyfriend was a nice perk, too. I may not have gotten much rest some nights (my sleeping in my own bed as opposed to falling asleep on the floor studying ratio is abysmal), but I survived. Well, not until June 12th, I won’t have, but I’m done with the ACT and APs, so, technicalities.

A little about me: My name is Katie, and I’m currently in my pajamas (junior year warrants it, I do believe). I live in Farmington Hills, Michigan as an almost-senior at North Farmington High School. I often sarcastically bemoan the fact that I’m like every other suburban white girl in America and therefore have nothing interesting to put on my college applications. While there is some truth to that statement (two-parent household, only child, a slew of extracurriculars), I’m proud to say that everything I participate in, I do so because I want to.

Prom: the night I’ve never felt more beautiful (Image by Katie Dimmer)

I’ve been involved at my church since elementary school, and I joke that during the weeks preceding high points in the liturgical calendar (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, etc.), I live at my parish. Between choir and bell choir, cantoring at Mass, teaching religious ed, and youth group events, there is quite a bit of truth to that statement. Being Catholic and my religion as a whole is the most important thing in my life.

As for the rest of my days, I don’t ever think I stop moving, but I wouldn’t trade that reality for the world. I’m in marching band, band, and orchestra (clarinet), sing in a university youth choir, am the president of three clubs (Pay it Forward, Diversity, and Quiz Bowl), one of the managers of the literary magazine, run the soundboard for the school musical, and am in nearly a dozen other activities, including being a mentor to freshman through Link Crew. Right now, my resume is two pages single-spaced, and I’m hoping to add another page to that next year.

The quest for perfection, though, is a huge fear of mine throughout this application process. I love talking about what I do at school, the projects I run, the people I interact with, all because I really do love it. When I make horribly braggy statements like the resume comment above, it’s meant to be a testament to my tendency to do everything, not as a badge of honor. However, sometimes I worry that colleges will see quantity over quality, as the Common App and even supplements don’t leave much room for lengthy dissertations regarding activities. That’s the dichotomy: I look good because I do a lot, but because I do a lot, it could hurt me if I am unable to convey the meaning of and growth through those activities. And that’s why I do what I do: because I genuinely love it.

Sometimes you run into friends from Blue Lake at Link Crew conferences in other states. (Image by Katie Dimmer)

Last week in AP Lang, we started college essays with a super cool activity in class. We talked about each prompt for three minutes and tried to come up with experiences of ideas to write about; afterwards, we ranked how easy it was to discuss. My first draft was close but not right yet. That’s the hard part of all of this. I know me, my teachers know me. But college admissions officers know a file. They don’t know in the inflections in my voice, the way I scrunch up my nose when I get frustrated. How do I flatten myself into an 8.5” by 11” sheet of paper?

I have general themes or events I could write about for each Common App essay, and my current plan is to write every single essay, evaluate, and then sculpt my favorite. And this is what I do for fun. (Yes, I’m also the kid who was upset when we didn’t have AP Calc BC summer homework.)

Will my best friend and I room together? We’ll find out soon enough… (Image by Katie Dimmer)

As for colleges themselves, I have a list of five schools that I’m for sure applying to: University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Hillsdale College, University of Chicago, and Catholic University of America. All of my visits will be finishing up by the beginning of next week and early July. Why those schools? What were my interviews and tours like? Why, dear reader, I’m glad you asked! I’ll be back next month touching on that a bit more.

Until then, I’m off to do Honors Physics homework and write an essay in Spanish. And maybe read one or four novels as a study break. It’s been known to happen.