Watertown High seniors give college advice (while they try to figure it all out for themselves)

The college process can be a stressful and scary thing, especially when you don’t know what you are going to major in. Students tend to feel pressured to have their whole life figured out, which is not realistic for everyone. A hard part of this process is knowing what colleges to look at. Some schools are chosen based on their majors.

Four Watertown High seniors agreed to give their take on the college process and how they are handling everything. The students — Chris Hatfield, Brennan Cook, Shant Cimenian, and Anna Papayannopoulos — gave a look into what their life is like. They answered questions on how they have been dealing with everything, what they look for in school, and their fears, while also giving advice to future students who will go through this as well.

“What has the college process looked like for you?”

Brennan Cook: Visiting schools, ACT and SAT, doing prep and starting the common app.

Chris Hatfield: A lot of researching, visiting schools that are the best fit, and taking tests.

Shant Cimenian: Mostly visiting schools, getting SAT scores and grades up.

Anna Papayannopoulos: Touring, building up the resume, researching what I’m interested in, and looking for colleges that have what I am looking for.

“How do you pick a school when you don’t know what you want to do?”

Brennan Cook: Location, and how much aid I can get.

Chris Hatfield: I have a big book with a bunch of colleges and look at things I’m interested in.

Shant Cimenian: Good environment and positive vibes.

Anna Papayannopoulos: Cost, location, and it has to have what I am looking for.

“What makes you dislike and like a school?”

Brennan Cook: Reasons why I would dislike a school are price and a bad atmosphere. I would like bigger school because of what they offer and social life.

Chris Hatfield: I like if they have stuff I’m interested in and have good sports teams. I dislike if the price is to high and if I visit a school and get a bad vibe.

Shant Cimenian: I dislike old-looking schools. I like new school because I want to try something new and different.

Anna Papayannopoulos: I dislike a bad environment, if the school is in the middle of nowhere, and does not much outside stuff going on. I like a good campus with friendly people, overall just a good environment and fit for me.

“What is your biggest fear going into this?”

Brennan Cook: Picking the wrong school, not fitting into one, and not getting into the school I want.

Chris Hatfield: Going into a whole new environment and not knowing what’s going to happen.

Shant Cimenian: The fact that this is all happening so soon.

Anna Papayannopoulos: I think not liking the school and not fitting in are my fears.

“Lastly, what advice do you have for students who will be in your position in the future?”

Brennan Cook: Prep for ACT and SAT beforehand.

Chris Hatfield: Visit a bunch of schools, don’t settle, and try to find the right fit.

Shant Cimenian: Don’t joke around freshmen year, each grade is important.

Anna Papayannopoulos: Have a good resume and keep your keep your grades up.

–Nov. 22, 2019–