Tyrone Area seniors apply to college, stress the importance of starting early

By Jessica Berg

For many TAHS seniors, now is the time to apply to and await word from prospective colleges.

Senior Macey Lucas has applied to Penn State and IUP. She is interested in teaching math at the middle and high school levels because she enjoys teaching and is good at math.

“It feels so weird to finally be the oldest in the school and to think I won’t be here next year,” Lucas said.

When considering which colleges to apply to, Lucas looked for small class sizes, a nearby location, and a nice campus. She took a week to complete each application because she was busy with other school responsibilities and needed help from the school counselors.

“Students should really start looking at colleges at the end of their junior year at the latest. There are a lot of open house opportunities during the summer,” Lucas said.

Jessica Hoffman, senior, is also a TAHS senior. She applied to Mount Aloysius, Lock Haven and Cedar Crest. She wants to major in nursing to become a Registered Nurse (RN).

“It feels weird to think that I will be out [of school] in a couple months,” she commented.

In her college search, Hoffman analyzed location, programs in her major and on-campus and off-campus housing. Unlike Lucas, Hoffmann’s application process took only a few days.

“Do not wait,” Hoffman advised other students. “Start early!”

Mrs. Johannides, TAHS guidance counselor, helps many seniors apply to college and agrees with this advice.

“Start the college application process early,” Johannides said. “Students can start in 9th grade by taking their classes seriously and trying to get the best GPA possible. In 10th or 11th grade students should take the PSAT to prepare them for the SAT. Students looking for more help with PSAT and SAT prep should consider taking Mr. Everhart’s reading and writing prep class and Mrs. Marasco’s math prep class. These classes are proven to increase test scores.”