As you navigate your last year in high school, you’ll be tasked with writing several personal essays for college on top of academics and extracurriculars. To help guide you through this bittersweet year, here are some nuggets of wisdom from senior Jason Singh class of 2026.
Jason Singh will be attending Columbia University in New York City, with an intended major in human rights. Of course, behind this huge achievement is a marathon of effort:“It was very stressful. Very stressful,” Jason describes as he recalls his fall semester of senior year.
To be specific, Jason highlights “getting your whole story together” as one of his biggest challenges. Applying to both UC’s and private schools, Jason had to write at least five personal essays in just one semester.
In light of this, Jason is grateful for the resources at Mission: “Being in the Future Center, and going to Velez [AVID teacher], every second that I had, I was just getting people to review my stuff, and that was really helpful the entire time.” With the writing process being the hardest part, he advises future seniors to begin preparing their drafts as early as the summer after junior year.
Transitioning from junior to senior year for Jason meant shifting his focus from extracurriculars to college applications. “In junior year, I really focused on doing extracurriculars and really just being involved in school. Then, senior year, I took a pause on that and started focusing more on my applications,” Jason recounts. For those still trying to add more extracurriculars in their senior year, he recommends putting most of your effort into making the most of what you already have.
For underclassmen figuring out their schedule, Jason recommends taking the most in junior year, and accompanying them with city college classes, so that the bulk of your academic rigor is before college applications. Jason has never taken a free period.
Translating all your momentum built in your previous years into college applications is no doubt stressful. College applications are a marathon, not a sprint; Jason’s advice on staying focused is to “eliminate distractions,” mainly social media. “It gets really hard and difficult, but you just have to push through, honestly; push through and focus on one task at a time.”
Jason emphasizes that segmenting college applications into manageable pieces is key: “Don’t get overwhelmed with a bunch of stuff that you want to do. Focus on one thing, get it done, then move to the next one, and get that done.”
“I would say never worry about not being able to pay for college. There’s always a way to pay for college,” states Jason. Alongside college applications, you’ll have to navigate finances as well, but never let cost stop you from applying. Jason continues, “Just apply for everything because you never know what you’ll get.” In addition, Jason notes that if you do not like your financial aid award, you can negotiate with that school by showing them a more generous offer from another school.
With college applications feeling like one long, painful marathon, Jason reminds incoming Seniors to remember the resources they have at Mission, and to appreciate the invaluable opportunity that college is: “A lot of us are first generation – you can be the first person in your family to go to college. That’s always such a great achievement. Also, think about systemic challenges that our parents or grandparents had, if you’re a first generation; that didn’t allow them to go to college, but now that you have the opportunity.”
