Pins and needles time for Lakewood Ranch High seniors
LAKEWOOD RANCH -- It's senior year for the class of 2016 and college is coming up.
Many LRHS seniors are still figuring out their next step.
With the earliest application due Nov. 1, 2015, and the latest being May 1, many seniors are beginning to receive decisions from their chosen schools.
Taylor Korneluk is a senior who has already been accepted.
"I really wanted to get in to Florida Gulf Coast (University) and I did," she said. "Luckily, my best friend also got in so I already have a roommate, too."
LRHS senior Brianna Arteaga said: "I'm lucky enough to get to go out of state. I applied to a lot of colleges in Rhode Island and have gotten into two so far: Rhode Island College and Johnson and Whales University. I'm happy I at least have options."
Another excited Mustang is senior Christian Hill.
"I was accepted into the University of North Florida and granted the opportunity to study abroad in France for two years," he said. "I'm so grateful and thrilled for my acceptance and can't wait to start this summer."
College decisions can be an emotional time for students. Not everyone is accepted, at least not right away.
If a student is rejected by a school and they think the decision is unfair or wrong they have the option to appeal.
A student who wishes to appeal a decision needs to follow the appeals process on the specific college's website.
Senior Hayden Grimm is taking this route.
"I received the decision on Feb. 12, and initially I was devastated," he said. "I seemed to be qualified in every aspect: academically, holistically and with my extracurriculars. It was the worst day of my life, but after seeking counsel from my friends and family we decided to begin the process to appeal the decision.
"So now I have to wait to call
the admissions office and see if I have a case for an appeal. If they deem that I do have a strong case, I can write a letter of appeal. I really hope this works because the University of Florida is my dream school."
A less expensive option for students awaiting acceptance, or who have been rejected, is transferring.
Some high school seniors choose to attend a state or community college for a year or two taking general education courses, then transfer to a four-year college.
Community colleges such as Valencia College in Orlando and Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee have direct connect programs that guarantee students who attend will gain admission into their sister universities.
Valencia's sister university is the University of Central Florida while TCCs is Florida State University.
This story was originally published March 5, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Pins and needles time for Lakewood Ranch High seniors ."