Senior year is advertised as the easiest year in high school. All of my friends who graduated seemed to skate through their last year with little effort.

It seemed easy enough so I bought it. I came in excited for this year and ready to apply to colleges. I thought everything would be a breeze. Five weeks into the school year, I realized I was misled, so I would like to make a return please, full refund.

Classes are a separate story; they’re not really a problem since I haven’t done any work, but these applications are no joke. No one told me I would have to write a biography on my life. What’s your name? What’s your address? What’s your GPA? What’s your class ranking? Oh, and just so you know, we don’t rank classes here.

Not only that, but I have to write this essay about how amazing I am. Which isn’t really hard because, let’s face it, I’m great, but what part of my greatness do I share with this person who has never met me and is going to decide my future?

On top of that, don’t forget to apply for scholarships too, so you can afford to go to college. You have to find the right scholarships for you and the highest paying ones to knock out that fifty-five thousand dollar tuition. Some have numerous stages, some are essays, some are from drink companies like Coca-Cola. There are so many scholarships out there, the only problem is I don’t know which ones I should apply for!

I think the most stressful part of it all is that no matter how many scholarships or college applications I fill out, I could still not be accepted to the school I want and I could not win any of the scholarships. These applications are just a big judgement process, you apply, do your best, and in the end it’s all up to people you have never met. So you better shine brighter than all those other people who are shining their brightest.