Sitting at the lunch table listening to students talk about what type of doctor or engineer they want to be when they grow up can be nerve-wracking. This is especially true for many students who have no idea what they want to do in the future. When thinking about colleges, there are so many questions one has to ask themselves such as, in state or out of state? University or community college? Which major is the most interesting?

College-bound students are looking to impress colleges, so many of them try to be part of any club or sports team they can, all while maintaining good grades according to school.familyeducation.com. But keeping up with grades can be hard, especially for seniors who elect to take AP and honors classes.

“Getting ready for college is a lot of hard work. It’s exciting to think about going but at the same time, it’s a dreadful process,” said senior Ben Taber.

According to College.Answers.com there are many components to think about when looking into colleges: SAT/ACT scores, GPA requirements, recommendation letters, tuition costs, scholarships, and more.

“Thinking about college stresses me out a lot because the deadlines are so soon,” said senior Autumn Potter. “It’s hard because I want my applications to be unique so I can stand out to the admissions directors.”

The stress of applying to college is different for everyone. Some students have a really hard time with it, others have learned to take a step back and breathe.

“I want to go to Delaware to be a biomedical engineer,” said sophomore Thomas Dolinar. “And I’m not really stressed out about college because I feel like people build it up to make it worse than it really is.”

All the hard work put into having a strong curriculum, a high weighted GPA, and a good class rank all pays off in the end according to National Association of College Administrations Counseling. For now, it is stressful for students to apply to college but getting an acceptance letter is worth it according to North Harford High School guidance counselor, Matt Johnstone.