While Shorecrest seniors are knee-deep in their own college processes, considering decisions and outcomes, let’s turn to the Sophomore Class. Shorecrest’s Class of 2026 is already anticipating and preparing for college applications at an unseemly rate, shocking both upperclassmen and faculty alike.

     College applications are daunting. Starting early may certainly help in some ways, but it can also lead to unwanted stress. Assistant Director of College Counseling Victoria Scott focuses her counseling efforts on the underclassmen at Shorecrest. About the college admission process, Scott said, “Too much worry can create a high school experience devoid of enjoyment.”

     The Class of 2026’s lofty goals and desire to get into top schools may lead to their amount of worry regarding college. Scott said, “My meetings with the sophomore class have really shown me how ambitious and driven this group is.” 

     Many sophomores have gotten a jumpstart on the college search process, oftentimes overlooking the downsides, in order to maximize their college application success by optimizing their time in high school. 

     When asked about the benefits of starting early, sophomore Candy Ran said, “By the time everyone else is struggling to make decisions regarding colleges, you already have a clear goal in mind, knowing which colleges you want to go to and focus on.” 

     Sophomore Nicholas Canizares shared Ran’s sentiment. He said, “It is a good thing to set a goal in your high school years because it will keep you pushing…to reach this goal or college.”

     Having finished the college application process, senior Mia Lee said, “[One] of the benefits to starting the process early [is] understanding what types of schools you want to go to, so you save time during your junior and senior year visiting them.”

     However, early thoughts about college can cause additional stress while balancing an academic and social life. Lee said, “Stressing out about something that is not entirely in your control at such a young age is not worth it. I think as a sophomore, you should not be consumed by college.”

     The Shorecrest College Counseling Office (CCO) has inspired many sophomores to dive into the college search process. By reaching out to students in their freshman year, the CCO has emphasized college preparation to underclassmen earlier than Shorecrest has in the past. 

     Canizares said, “The [CCO] team has done an amazing job of getting the underclassmen to begin thinking about college… They have frequent interactions with the students about college.” Scott said, “Understanding what a competitive GPA is and/or how important community service is early in high school sets students up to [create] a dynamic story when applying for college.”

     Prospective collegiate athletes have an additional reason to begin searching for colleges early. Sophomore Clark Mason, who wants to play golf in college, said, “Recruiting starts at the end of your sophomore year, so you really have to put together the whole package that people would have put together at the end of their senior year.” Mason believes that starting the recruitment process now will benefit him because “if you’re not first, you’re last…If you build relationships with coaches and schools early, they’re really gonna want to recruit you first.”

     However, early thoughts about college can cause additional stress while balancing an academic and social life. Lee said, “Stressing out about something that is not entirely in your control at such a young age is not worth it. I think as a sophomore, you should not be consumed by college.”

     While beginning to search for colleges as a sophomore puts students ahead of the game, some may want to slightly take their foot off the gas. Lee recommends that the best thing sophomores can do now is “create a story for their application. One of the most important things I wish I knew was to do lasting things throughout my high school career and [show] interest in them.”