Birth spikes from the year 2007 have been rumored to increase the competitiveness in college admissions for the class of 2025. According to The Hill, “the number of births in the country climbed to an all-time high in 2007.” Raul Hernandez, a member of the class of 2025, finds himself applying to schools across the country, earning admission to top schools, showing the birth spike didn’t affect him. Hernandez battles between Williams College and Middlebury College on the East Coast and UC Berkeley from the West Coast. Hernandez claims to be leaning towards Williams because “Williams gave me a full ride so I am heavily considering committing because of that!” While he is still unsure about where he will end up for higher education, Hernandez has two college trips planned in the following weeks to both coasts (East and West) to solidify his decision.
Hernandez plans to major in Computer Science at whichever institution he ends up at, but he may face challenges and is nervous to leave home. He claims to be excited about the possibility of ending up on the East Coast, but also notes how he expects to get home sick. He also anticipates that he will struggle with adjusting, as he said “Finding your community and adjusting are the hardest parts of starting college. Unlike MACES where I’ve known the same people for about eight years, college life will bring many new faces and experiences.”
Despite the challenges he predicts to face, Hernandez is thrilled to be independent. He states, “I feel like college will grant me more freedom in both my academics and personal life. I can choose my own schedule and go out whenever I want!” College seems like the perfect place for students to find their true selves as they gain independence, and it is no different for Hernandez. He’s ready to branch out on his own and can’t wait for this anticipated experience.
As Hernandez gets ready to move on to the next era of his life, he leaves underclassmen with some final advice: “I would say, ask for help. One thing I regret is not asking for help when I initially applied early for some colleges. I didn’t get any of my writing nor application reviewed, something I now regret as I opened up during regular decision time. Getting different eyes on your writing can be so beneficial and I recommend using the college center as much as you can!”
While everything did work out for Hernandez, there was a time where he felt like his life was over. As a Questbridge finalist who didn’t match, Hernandez believes in the saying “rejection is redirection.” With that, he says, “No matter what happens, always stay hopeful…Don’t let any of your rejections bring you down, rejection is redirection!! Do your college applications on time and don’t forget to ask for help.”
