High school is very stressful as it is, but applying to colleges on top of work is even more stressful. Seniors have been applying to colleges since the summer and finally most of the applications are done. Some acceptance letters for early action and early decision applications have also begun to come out. Unfortunately, it won’t be until spring when Seniors will all know where they are spending their next four years where they will prepare for the new and exciting opportunities beyond high school. Many will stay in California, many will move all around the U.S., and some might even go abroad to study in places like the U.K. or Australia. The graduating class of 2026 will all achieve incredible things and Marymount will have prepared them for what is ahead. Juniors are also beginning to think about what schools they will want to attend and apply to and are preparing for college applications as well by learning all about the processes and studying for the SAT and ACT.
Students are applying to different schools for various reasons. Some want to stay closer to family and to the nice weather and are applying to colleges such as UCSB, UCLA, USC, the Cal State schools and many of the other UC’s.
Many Seniors are applying to schools that offer incredible programs in the areas they want to major in. One senior who is applying for architecture is applying to NYU, USC and University of Washington, as well as a plethora of other schools because of the incredible opportunities they offer. Many students applied to schools which would allow them to travel easily back home while still having good programs and a good vibe, which is why so many students applied to the UC’s; many of these schools allow students to remain in California for a sense of familiarity but still allow them to reach out of their comfort zones. One common theme I saw when I asked Seniors where they applied was based off of the vibe that they wanted out of a school. Many people like bigger schools in a city like NYU or University of Michigan. Others like smaller liberal
art schools with a warm, community-based vibe like Boston College and Fordham. I also noticed that many students applied to Jesuit schools because of the familiarity of going to a Catholic school similar to Marymount such as LMU, Georgetown, Boston College and Fordham. Various other schools which Seniors are applying to are Northeastern, Syracuse, Duke, Boulder, Cal Poly Slo, SDSU, Chapman, Indiana University, University of Arizona, University of Utah, Penn State, Boston University, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, USC, and UCLA. There are of course just so many other schools which students have applied to, but these were some common ones I found.
Overall, students have been applying to schools throughout all of the U.S. and beyond. While Seniors are getting into colleges, we know that they put so many hours into their applications and have been working tirelessly to get into the schools they love.
The class of 2026 has so much in store and it really is only just beginning. For Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors, even though it may sound daunting, know that it will all pay off and that you can do it in the next years to come.