As the New Year begins, many colleges’ deadlines are fast approaching. The process of meeting these deadlines has been an ongoing battle for most seniors graduating this spring. Some students submitted their applications for Early Decision and Early Action to the institutions that offered them, while others waited until Regular Decision. Applying Early Decision is a binding agreement, meaning that if they get accepted into the institution, they are required to attend despite other school decisions (unless there are other restricting circumstances). On the contrary, Early Action and Regular Decisions are non-binding agreements. The advantage of Early Action that limited universities offer is that applicants will hear back in early December and January. 

For those who did apply EA and ED, most decisions have since been released, and those students have made their commitment. Some Danbury High students who have committed at this point include Colleen McGuire, Heather De Freitas, Aaliyah Frank, Zachary Catalano, and Lexi Barton. The others can be found on the Danbury Commits 2024 Instagram page (@dhs.commits). 

One of our Hatters, James Rivera, has committed to Northeastern University, majoring in Economics and Business Administration. James expressed that he applied Early Action to each university except Northeastern (in which he applied Early Decision) because it was his “#1 school.” A large factor that led to his decision is that “Northeastern is ranked #1 nationwide in co-ops and internships.” After committing to one of the top 50 schools in the country, James advises incoming seniors to “take the process day by day and ensure that you take pride in your efforts and let yourself breathe throughout the process.”

Another one of our DHS seniors, Norine Latli, has made a similar choice of heading to Massachusetts and attending the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at Boston University. Majoring in Human Physiology and Medical Anthropology on a Pre-Med track, Norine applied Early Decision to her top school. Norine’s passion for her major and school comes from her “increasing clinical experience, [as she’s] learned to see each patient as a unique individual, a perspective emphasized at Sargent College.” She emphasizes how BU provides opportunities for more of that experience, which is integral to her Human Physiology major curriculum and interests. The most stressful portion of her application to BU was the waiting period before her decision and after submitting her application. She says that during this time, she “constantly wondered if [she] had highlighted the right experiences and effectively conveyed [her] passion for medicine and for Boston University itself.” As one of the top medical programs in the country, Boston University searches for students with a genuine interest in the major they intend to pursue – one that Norine has always held and strives to utilize for positive change.

Danbury High’s BOG President, Pearl Chia, is the first of our seniors to commit to an Ivy League school: Brown University. Pearl says she applied Early Decision as a Computer Science and Comparative Literature major, and that the factor that had one of the largest impacts on her choice was its community: “In my opinion, the general community and vibe of Brown are unmatched. The students there seem so genuinely happy and so incredibly self-motivated”. She also notes that there was no sense of competition during her visit to the campus and that everyone was supportive of one another, leading to the passion and motivation she saw. The most difficult part of her application, she states, was her “borderline horrifying and extreme procrastination.” Pearl explained her experience of pulling an all-nighter between Tuesday and Wednesday to completely rewrite her college essay and meet the submission deadline of Wednesday night. She admits that although it wasn’t the best idea, she can still express her gratitude for the fact that it all worked out and she can now officially call herself a part of Brown’s Class of 2028.

Another Hatter who will join the rest of her class at a university in New England is Aubrey Mancuso, who has committed to Kean University in New Jersey. Unlike the previous students, Aubrey applied for Early Action as a non-binding applicant. Her leading factor in this decision was that “their top major is psychology, so [she] knew [she] would be getting a pretty good education”. Aubrey is paving the way in her family and expressed that “she never really saw [herself] going to college because no one else did in [her] family,” making the process stressful and causing her to “overthink that [she] wouldn’t get into college”. Despite the struggles and occasional self-doubt Aubrey is proud to be a part of Kean University’s class of 2028. 

Each day, more decisions are coming in and commitments are being shared. The second semester of senior year is one of the most important and impactful moments for those who plan on attending college. Navigating the challenges of college applications can be both difficult and rewarding. Embrace the opportunities, face challenges head-on, and remember that each decision shapes your future. Best of luck and congratulations to the Class of 2024!