It’s once again that time of year where seniors across the country sit down, open their computers, and begin completing their college applications. The process of applying to college is a difficult one; students must navigate the intricacies of extracurriculars, supplements, financial aid forms, and the all-important Common App essay — all while trying to present themselves as “must haves” to their top schools. All of this makes the few months of applying to college agreeably the most stressful time of one’s high school career. 

The balance between school, sports, extracurriculars, and the Common Application is tenuous at best, and, because of all of this, the few months of applying to colleges is perhaps the most stressful time of one’s high school career. 

However, college application season doesn’t have to be as dreadful as students anticipate it to be. LFHS alumni Elaina Lee, Rachel Quan, Chloe Tzau, and Andrea Urdaneta believe that they have found a solution to the stress of college application season with their local business, LF College Essays. 

LF College Essays works with seniors on an individual basis with services ranging from essay editing, brainstorming, and mock college interviews. 

“We are a very personal service,” said Chloe Tzau, a freshman at Vanderbilt University. “We wanted a platform where we could give free tips, but also give people the chance to hire us to help them with their app process to make it the best they can at a low price.” 

“Colleges want to see what you’ve been doing with the last four years of your life,” said Elaina Lee, a Freshman at Dartmouth. “We and they want to see service, clubs, research, family responsibilities; who you really are.” 

The company seeks to encompass all aspects of one’s application process in order to find out who the client really is, and how to best describe that to the colleges they’re applying to. 

Andrea Urdaneta, a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania,says the organization learns about their clients in order to help them make the best possible application.

“We have a Google form, so when people ask us to read their essays, we ask them to fill out the form and ask them questions to get to know the people we’re working with,” said Urdaneta.

One person, when asked about their experiences with LF College Essays, made it clear that it was a very helpful experience: “I really liked my experience working with these ladies. They were so helpful and insightful with editing my essay AND included two full pages of feedback. My essay definitely improved so much in just one edit!”

The easiest way to contact LF College Essays is through their Instagram — @lfcollegeessay — and tell them which service you’re most interested in. “It’s super easy,” said  Tzau, “We’re all so excited to help you!”

Like with all current seniors, these four students understand how stressful college application season can be. This is why they decided to found LF College Essays: to make college application season less confusing, stressful, and difficult for the students who complete them.

“The main thing is that as people have gone through the process, you come out realizing that it’s a very intense undertaking as you’re so stressed about school, apps, the future,” said Rachel Quan, a freshman at the University of Chicago. 

However, all of them believe that there is little reason to stress about the application process. “Looking back, there was no reason to be stressed at all,” said Tzau, “Don’t be too stressed; enjoy your senior year.”

Furthermore, the four maintain an optimistic approach to the stresses of application season. 

“For most people I meet, the school they end up in is the right fit for them, while their dream school may not have been,” said Urdaneta. 

Further, giving advice to applying seniors, she stated that it’s important to “focus on the moment and realize that it’s all going to be okay, regardless of what school you go to.”

“I can either have a stressed life for my dream school, or live life and get into a school that is the fit for me. I’d rather take the later,” said Lee.

Although for the next few months, seniors will be bombarded with the stresses of school, work, and college applications, through it all, LF College Essays is there to help them show the best of who they truly are to their top schools. 

While the few months of applying to college are arguably the most stressful time of one’s high school career, it is important to remember that this time next year, seniors will all be exploring their new horizons at college, technical school, or wherever they find themselves; regardless of what schools they get into. Do your best, and enjoy the ride.