The class of 2027 started their spring semester with a new course: College Guidance.
Juniors will start applying for colleges this year, and it is important to begin early. However, starting the college process can be a daunting task, especially for those unsure about the vast sea of options and opportunities available.
“In terms of [where we are in] the college process right now, we’re in research,” said Joanna Upmeyer, associate director of college guidance.
Researching colleges can boil down to a few main questions to consider.
Upmeyer said these important questions are “Can you afford this kind of thing? Can I get into that school? [Will] I like learning in this place? Do I think this place can offer me a way to learn that works for me? [Will] I like being in this environment, and then in this community?”
These are the main factors that will affect a student’s consideration to apply, and eventually, consideration to commit.
Some tools that will be extremely helpful for students, starting junior year, and growing senior year, include the Common App and Scoir surveys. Common App serves as a sturdy base to input application information over the year, along with details about testing, such as the SAT and ACT, and financial aid. Scoir is very helpful when needing to find facts about certain colleges, on top of having surveys for the college counselors to look over.
In the late spring, college recommendation letters will become a necessity for juniors. Students will have the opportunity to connect with a teacher who has greatly impacted their year or influenced their way of thinking. This period will stretch from May 1st to May 30th.
Chase White ‘27 said, “I love my college guidance class. [College Guidance Fellow] Michelle Shipe is a really fun and uplifting teacher to have. I haven’t learned much yet, but I think I will get something out of this class with the teachers and peers I have.”
When asked what one piece of advice she would give every junior, Shipe said “Think about doing what you love and what college would help you accomplish that,” encouraging students to focus less on prestige and more on purpose.
With so much pressure surrounding applications, her advice reminds juniors to focus on their own goals rather than outside expectations.
Even though it is the start to what might seem to be a complicated process, a college guidance class is the beginning of a new chapter in students’ lives, leading to when they graduate.
Elise C • Mar 10, 2026 at 1:06 pm
I have definitely started thinking about the college process, but I feel like there is still so much I need to do! So far, I have visited a few colleges and noted the pros and cons of the environment; this has been helpful so far and I will continue to do this. However, I still don’t really feel prepared to ‘choose’ one or a few options yet because I myself don’t know what I fully want in my college experience. Currently, while I have college in mind, it does not affect me to a huge scale yet in terms of my mental health and anxiety, although I know that during my junior year there will be a substantial amount of pressure. Going along with this, I think that certain schools and the narrow acceptance rate is nerving, so it is certainly important to balance out applications with safeties and reach schools!
Kate • Mar 9, 2026 at 7:29 pm
I think that the college process has been relatively straightforward for me personally. I went into junior year knowing exact what I wanted to do in college and potentially beyond, which I think really helped narrow down what I am looking for. I used to have a dream school, but after actually looking into it, my mind was quickly changed as I did not enjoy certain aspects of the school. As of right now, I don’t feel insanely strongly about what college I attend, though I think that will change. I don’t think anxiety about college applications affects my performance in school, because as an athlete, I am used to dealing with high pressure situations and learning how to get the best out of them.
avery fus • Mar 8, 2026 at 6:35 pm
In my personal experience, I feel as though the college process has gone smoothly for me, and I have been getting some good information out of our classes. I have been thinking about colleges since sophomore year but had not considered factors like location, size, and diversity aspects of schools. These weren’t put into perspective for me until this year. While I feel we’ve learned a lot, which has lowered some stressors, I still feel anxiety towards the bulk of the process. I have friends who have gone through this process in school and outside of our school and it seems that the process really is different for everyone, and it feels like more of a game of chance.
Henry Goldstein • Mar 6, 2026 at 2:06 pm
So far, the college process for me has felt smooth and steady. I know what field I am interested in, and I have a criterion of what I want in a school. I have schools that meet or mostly meet my criteria, and I also have the support of my counselor and my parents, who have already been through the college process with my siblings. Despite what I have done, I know that the bulk of the work has not been done yet, and that is the part I’m stressed about. To add to that stress, I feel that I might be trying to bite off more than I can chew, as most of the schools on my list are reaches and I am a little worried I will not meet the requirements to be accepted, especially because of how I will do SAT. In the end, I know I will make a decision I am happy with, but the process ahead will not be totally smooth.
Paige • Mar 6, 2026 at 2:04 pm
I do think that many apts of it can be. I liked the fact that they put us in the shoes of an admission person to remind us that the process isn’t personal and it mainly comes down to numbers. I don’t have a dream school, and I think it’s great to love a specific school but make sure not to idolize it too much because it could make the process even harder for you, and push you to only subject yourself to one kind of school when there are so many out there that you may like. At the beginning of the year and leading up to senior year, I was very nervous about starting the process, and more so nervous about getting closer to the future and continuing my education more independently. But if you make a plan for yourself and stay organized it can minimize that by a large amount. It did affect my mental state in a way that I knew would, but it wasn’t the college process it was just about where I would end up in the fall. I do think it is very ethical and beneficial to have safeties and reaches because it’s always great to reach for the stars with things and put ur name in but you never know so it’s always good to be prepared
Harrison • Mar 6, 2026 at 9:40 am
I do think college guidance was helpful when it came to understanding all the criteria that play into choosing a college. Many students look at prestige only, but it is important to look at size, location, social scene, research access, and so much more. I personally am still struggling with which college to choose, but I have narrowed down my options to Elon University and the University of Tampa. At the start of my college journey, I would have picked Elon, but as I have gotten deeper into the college process, the urban environment Tampa has to offer attracts me.
Sammy • Mar 6, 2026 at 9:33 am
I am just getting started with the college process, and have my first meeting with my college counselor next week. So, I don’t have too many thoughts as to how it’s going so far because I still have a very long way to go. I recently started the college guidance class and I am learning new things about getting into college. Starting this process has also made me a little nervous, because it’s going to be a lot of work and I have to confront the fact that some goals aren’t likely to happen. When I was a freshman, I thought anything was possible, but as a junior, I see that that’s not true which is stressful. However, I still want to apply to the more selective universities that I want to go to. But sometimes it feels like I’m not encouraged to do this as much as I would like.
Makayla Littles • Mar 5, 2026 at 10:28 am
The college process seems fine so far, but I can’t help but feel anxious for the actual application process. I feel like we have only touched the tip of the iceberg, so I can only see this going downhill from here. Remembering that I will be applying to colleges soon, has made me feel like I need to step and get myself together. On the other hand, I definitely think that the college guidance class has been helpful in helping me understand all of my main properties for college. This class has also given me some tools for finding colleges that would be suitable for me, and it has taught me how to determine if the college would be a reach or not. My dream college is Howard because they offer a fast track program to become a doctor. I also just really love the environment, and I really want to go to an HBCU!
chloe collet • Mar 5, 2026 at 10:00 am
I think that college guidance was very helpful, as the details about the many different aspects of the process clarified a lot for me going into it. The classes we did set me up well to succeed in the process. Some examples include completing the STARS report as class homework, clarifying which extracurriculars to include on the Common App, and walking through the entire application submission process so that when the time actually rolled around, it didn’t feel daunting or new. The class helped me specify my thinking around where I wanted to go and shaped my expectations for the process. Overall, it helped me greatly in remaining organized and successful through the college process.
Nathaniel • Mar 5, 2026 at 8:49 am
I personally thought that college guidance was really helpful in some senses and not as helpful in others. I think it was really great at helping us learn how to think about colleges, such as how to come up with a list of colleges that are a good fit for us, and how to evaluate a college based on multiple factors (including academic, social, and financial fit). However, I really wish we had spent more time learning how to write college essays, especially supplemental essays. I feel like this is one of the most important parts of the college process, and while we practiced writing personal statements in English, no one ever taught me how to go about writing supplements, so I basically just had to figure it out myself through lots of practice. Maybe in the future, college guidance should incorporate more essay writing practice.
Percy • Mar 5, 2026 at 8:36 am
College guidance helped me so much in my junior year of high school. Partly because Joanna and Mal gave us step by step instructions and considerations while also spelling everything out super clearly. Before, the college process seemed super daunting and I didn’t know how to even approach it, but then Joanna and Mal helped me understand how to approach in the best way possible. However, I have noticed that the more experienced counselors have a tendency to push more of the same schools towards juniors, rather than actually listening to what schools they want to go to. For me personally, I knew I wanted to go to a big school from the get-go but kept getting recommendations for smaller schools.
Jonas Couzin-Frankel • Mar 5, 2026 at 8:36 am
I am a junior, so I started the college process pretty recently. So far it has been pretty good. I know the general type of school I want to go to but don’t have a specific dream school I really want to get into. I didn’t really know what to expect from the college process. I am the oldest child so I didn’t have any siblings apply to school before me. Because of this I didn’t really know what to expect from it. I was slightly worried that it would be a lot of work I needed to do but so far that has not been the case. While I don’t have a dream school, I do have a couple schools on my list so far that I like a lot.
Alana Son • Mar 4, 2026 at 10:33 pm
I think college guidance was very helpful, and I never would have thought about how so many factors play in when deciding where you desire to apply. It is hard to research schools because there are so many elements that play a role in it, but college guidance helped me organize my criteria for a perfect fit. In addition, looking at how essays should be written was helpful because it is such a major part of your application. College admissions officers have no idea who you are behind common app, and to them, you are really only a name. So, the research behind the essays helped put a personal story to our names for them to get a sense of who we are as individuals.
Avila Widestrom • Mar 4, 2026 at 8:25 pm
As this year is coming to an end I can tell college as a topic of conversation is creeping its way into every single interaction I have. Whether it’s the undertone of a friendly conversation in the hallway or more overt like participation in the college guidance course. It’s a topic I’m already getting exhausted of before even starting the application process. One of the things I am liking least about the college process is its competitiveness. I don’t care where anyone goes to college, and I am trying to prevent other people’s opinions from tainting my ultimate decision. But as the topic of college creeps into more discussions, it becomes harder and harder not to sway in a certain direction. Overall, the start of this process has been similar to what I expected, and I am indifferent to how it turns out as long as I end up at a place that I can tolerate (for lack of better words).
Radha Airan-Javia • Mar 4, 2026 at 2:54 pm
As a junior, I have started the process of looking at colleges and preparing my application this year. I may have only now just started actually looking at and visiting colleges, but I have been aware of this process for a lot longer than junior year. Around the time I started high school, I began to think about how I was going to structure my high school years and extracurricular activities to increase my chances of getting into a college I would want to go to. With that being said, I think that it is very important that high schoolers use their high school time not to make every single decision based on increasing their chances of getting into a “good” college, but instead develop and explore their interests.
Nika • Mar 4, 2026 at 2:42 pm
The college process has impacted me significantly throughout high school. I’ve felt like I have been inevitably falling behind. Having to write supplemental essays, upload tax documents, and balance school assignments has been a lot to work with. I’ve felt really stressed out. I am grateful for the college guidance assistance at AFS. Specifically, I am grateful for Joanna for everything she has helped me with. I’ve had a dream school for a very long time. For me, the wait to hear back from schools has been almost as stressful as applying. I am happy that it is almost over, and I am excited for the next step in my life beyond high school.