Seniors offer college application advice to juniors

A panel of eight seniors from LSMSA offered advice on the college application process to members of the Class of 2018 during a session held Thursday, Feb. 16, in the recital hall of the Center for Performance and Technology.

The event was sponsored by the College Counseling Center, which offers a comprehensive college counseling program at LSMSA. Counselors provide information about colleges and scholarships through the college planning seminars, the college fair, individual college visits, financial aid workshops and individual appointments upon request. Counselors individually advise and collaborate with students on issues of college admission and scholarships in the spring of junior year. During the senior year, counselors write individual letters of recommendation for each of their students and support students in the decision-making process. Students are encouraged to work closely with their counselor at this time to assure that applications and supporting documents, including transcripts, are sent in a timely fashion.

Juniors found the discussion to be very beneficial to them.

“I found it to be beneficial to me because it gave an idea of what to expect and told me things that I should start doing,” said Kiara Barclay of Bogalusa. “Colleges aren’t going to wait and junior year is almost already over.

“I need to make sure I get things done like applications, scholarships and other things like that before it is too late.”

The college planning process can be stressful, but Kiara Padilla of Fort Polk learned that working smarter will reduce the stress.

“The advice that stuck out to me most was to be smart and do what is best for you,” she said. “I do believe the panel discussion was beneficial to me because it helped me see that all the seniors that look like they have it easy really don’t, and that if we work at it just as they did, it will not be too bad of a process.”

Hoa Nguyen of LaPlace has started her college search by following her college planning seminar assignments in finding the perfect college for her.

“Test prep was very emphasized by seniors, as juniors do not realize the limited time that is remaining,” said Nguyen. “This panel discussion greatly erased my fears as I was able to hear their own personal perspective about college applications.”

A discussion about scholarships caught the attention of Emily Dart of Bossier City.

“Looking for scholarships really caught my attention because I know I am going to need a lot of them, and I learned that there are so many that I could qualify for,” she said. “I have begun searching for colleges I may attend, but now I will begin to look more in-depth for scholarships.”

Panelists included Alexis Angelle of Arnaudville, Claire Leming of St. Francisville, Aagrika Neupane of Lake Charles, Grace Dumdaw of Mandeville, Heather Soileau of Lafayette, Sterling Trafford of Lake Charles, Corey King of Hammond and Marcos Cecchini of Denham Springs.