Applying early to college holds many advantages for students. “The earlier you apply, the better your chances of being accepted if you have met basic requirements. In addition, those students with weaker credentials are viewed in a more positive light because they have taken the initiative to apply early,” said CAP Counselor Mr. Bain. “In this case, the ‘early bird does often get the worm.’ There are no guarantees, but your odds are definitely increased. Those who apply later or for a second deadline may be viewed as lacking commitment to a particular college or as a student who is a procrastinator about academic responsibilities.”

All Miami High seniors had to make an early application to Miami-Dade College through their English classes. Mr. Bain said they had to apply to MDC because it is the best value for your money when it comes to other schools, and it allows students who do well to transfer to four-year universities of all types across the nation.

Some seniors say that applying to college early can be difficult. Genesis Sotomayor said, “The deadlines are too soon. They don’t give students enough time to focus on applying to college, due to students being focused on [their senior year in high] school.”
Senior Leonardo Cedeño said, “It’s too soon because many seniors are not well informed about the colleges they are applying to.”

Senior Heidy Diaz said that some applications ask too many questions.
Senior Maria Vargas agreed, adding that some even require that you do an essay.
On the other hand, some say it’s a breeze, “It is not that complicated; it’s actually quite easy,” said senior Chelsea Collado, “November 1st was for early decision, and [I had] plenty of time to apply.”

Senior Chris Lopez added, “It has its difficulties, but overall it didn’t prove to be difficult.”
After applying to college, many seniors think about what they would have done differently throughout high school to get into a better college. Jeovanny Garrido said, “I’d have studied harder to be more prepared for the SAT and ACT.”

Melanie Narveaze said, “I would have focused on my grades since freshman year.”

Leonardo Cedeño said he would have joined more school activities.

Many teachers at MHS recommend different universities/colleges to their students. Marine science teacher Mr. Upperco, who wants to be known as a Gator hater, said, “I’d have to say a tie between UCF and Florida State University, because they both offer students a variety of majors to choose from and that makes a big difference compared to other schools.”

English teacher Ms. Sands said, “In order for kids to get the best college experience, I would recommend a four year college, and for those who aren’t ready, they should do two years at Miami-Dade College and then transfer to a four year university.”

“This is a difficult question to answer because I feel that the best approach when applying to colleges/universities is to go through an in-depth research process of what exactly a student is looking for,” said SGA Advisor/Silver Knight Coordinator Ms. Puentes. “Instead of providing you with a list of schools I recommend, my recommendation is for students to really ask themselves the questions that will help them apply to the best school suited for them.”

Many seniors don’t have trouble choosing what university they want to attend. “I am applying to UM (University of Miami),”said senior Jesse Simmons, “because it offers a major in sports medicine, which is what I am interested in studying.”

“I am mostly interested in UCF (University of Central Florida),” said senior Jeovanny Garrido, “because they have a partnership with Disney and have an excellent animation program that I want to major in.”

“I have applied to UCL (University College London), which is a great school to study medicine, which is what I’m interested in the most,” said Chris Lopez, “I want to get as far away from Miami as I can, and the mystery that awaits for me in London, England, is what keeps me going.”