While the college application process is daunting for all high school seniors, the details are different for students of varying backgrounds and demographics. Seniors Selam Weimer, Sabrina Hevia-Lenckiwicz, and Dylan Blumenthal discuss their own college application experiences. 

All three of the interviewees were encouraged to pursue a college degree while they were growing up, citing their parent’s education levels as an expectation. Hevia-Lenckiewicz’s parents went to school in the U.S. and Bolivia, respectively, so she applied to schools abroad in addition to schools in the United States.

Both Hevia-Lenckiewicz and Blumenthal placed an emphasis on applying to schools a good distance from DC. Blumenthal noted “[he] would like to feel that [he is] in a new environment completely removed from home,” which is a sentiment shared by some of his classmates. However, Weimer doesn’t “have the itch to leave DC just yet,” because she’s only lived here for three years.

Unsurprisingly, all three of the seniors took cost into consideration when choosing their schools. Weimer was the only one of the three without an established college fund, but she believes her parents will assist in paying if needed. Like many seniors, Weimer is also keeping her eye on possible scholarships to help her attend her dream school. 

On the other hand, Blumenthal was provided a set budget when choosing his schools, and will need to take out loans if necessary. He is also looking for academic merit scholarships and scholarships that relate to his leadership roles in the Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities. 

Hevia-Lenckiewicz hasn’t actively sought out any scholarships, but keeps various opportunities in mind as she applies to schools. She has been working since freshman year, and she plans on paying her parents back fully when she has the chance. 

Blumenthal, similar to many high school students, felt worried by competition from fellow seniors reducing his chances of getting into his dream school—until recently, when he was admitted to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. 

Weimer believes that the competition provided by her class is “an asset, not a misfortune.” Hevia-Lenckiewicz shared a similar sentiment, believing that “there is always going to be someone that knows more than [she does] in a subject,” and doesn’t focus on that. She advises her peers and younger Wilson students to “learn from those people and strive to become better themselves.” 

All three of the seniors took their personal interests into consideration when thinking about possible futures for themselves. Hevia-Lenckiewicz intends on majoring in International Relations, which gives her the flexibility to take a “diverse range of classes,” something that will help her become either a lawyer or a diplomat. 

Weimer’s intended major of English or Literature is no doubt influenced by her passion for performing poetry, but also by her goal of becoming a teacher. In the future, she wants to travel and complete humanitarian work. 

In contrast to the other interviewees, Blumenthal plans to pursue a broader major to support his ever-changing and evolving intellectual interests. He credits these “dynamic interests” to his uncertainty with possible future career paths. At the moment, he thinks it would be interesting to work in product design at a large technology company.