The college-application process is generally stressful and anxiety-inducing for students and teachers alike. The IHS College Application and Career Office (CACO) is responsible for sending out over 1600 applications each year, along with verifying that every applicant has all paperwork complete and sent on time.

Luckily, about 80 to 90 percent of IHS seniors are accepted by four-year colleges every year. This may partially be due to the fact that IHS students are particularly strong applicants: fifty-six percent of the student population at IHS scored between 600 and 800 on each of the three SAT reasoning tests (Math, Verbal, Writing).

Still, the CACO is there to help. “My application was very rushed; the deadlines were quick and I didn’t know all I needed to hand in at once,” said Brandon B. ’07, an early applicant for SUNY New Paltz.

Debra Fields-Walker, IHS’s new college and career assistant who coordinates applications and assists students, thought the early application process this year went well.

Fields-Walker encourages juniors and seniors to use the Naviance application system, which can help students to find colleges with their program of interest and organize their applications. The program has great potential to help students if they start making use of it early enough, Fields-Walker added.

Fields-Walker has created a folder with each applicant’s information and school paperwork. Once these folders are done, she sends out the applications. Here are some of her tips for juniors and seniors who are getting ready to apply:

1. Get application information about a month ahead of time.

2. Make sure to place your social security number on all paperwork.

3. Don’t panic if your application hasn’t been received by a college. Check again in a week.

4. Have patience!