The end of the first semester is approaching which only means that college application deadlines are weeks away. Seniors are taking action to make future plans a reality as graduation inches closer.

Many are interested in college and have invested hours on applications.

“I have a terrible track record of keeping up with deadlines, but these are the most important ones for my future and for this next chapter of my life, so I don’t want to miss them,” senior Bryan Delgado said. “I have applied to UTEP and NMSU so far.”

Delgado participates in a college readiness program through UTEP called Upward Bound. The program is aiding his application process.

“The teachers through the program guide you through the process of applying to colleges, writing a resume and writing essays,” Delgado said. “It made the whole thing a little more manageable.”

Certain aspects of the application process can be stressful.

“Writing the essays is the toughest part,” senior Danielle Jimenez said. “It takes up a lot of time and it’s tough because we still have to balance the work from our classes. I’ve written two of the essays for my ApplyTexas application and the hardest one so far was a prompt that asked where I would travel if I had one ticket. I just had a lot of ideas running through my head.”

Students looking to attend specific programs for a university face different challenges during the application process.

Senior Isaac Morales hopes to attend the music school at the University of North Texas.

“I have to be accepted to both the music school and the university,” Morales said. “So if I audition and make it in the music school, it won’t matter unless my general application gets accepted too, so it adds more stress. I’ve even retaken my SAT to try to improve my score.”

Knowing which schools to apply for is a key factor in the application process.

“Students should consider (whether) the school they want to go to has programs relating to what they want to study,” Go Center specialist Julie Rodriguez said.

Financing a college education is a common obstacle for students.

“Students are mostly stressed about money,” Rodriguez said. “I tell students that they need to put in work to go to the school they want. They can retake their SAT scores to get a higher one and apply for scholarships.”

An official school transcript, a completed FAFSA form and SAT/ACT scores are necessary for general applications.

“Students can get their official transcripts from the registrar’s office,” Rodriguez said. “If a school application asks for an official transcript, a student needs to see Ms. Barrios so she can get the document sealed and mailed to the school.”

FAFSA applications can be filled out online at www.studentaid.ed.gov and SAT/ACT scores can be accessed through the College Board website.

“Filling out my FAFSA application was a fairly simple process if you know the right steps,” senior Gilbert Mendoza said. “If your parents already have an account, it is a simple clicks away. It only took me about ten minutes to complete.”