There has and will always be a stigma around the phrase “junior year,” and rightfully so. With a combination of AP-level classes, commitments such as Student Council or Student Leadership, sports teams, and more, the last thing any junior student wants is another thing to stress about. That is where the second semester meets Fred Alvarez, who introduces another responsibility of junior year by the name of College Counseling.
“I’m tremendously excited to start with the junior class,” said Mr. Alvarez. “They have a large diversity in terms of colleges that students will be looking to get into. The challenge to me is to help them make that happen.”
Alvarez, the school’s humanities and journalism teacher as well as cross country and track coach, is at the forefront of such operations. Mr. Alvarez has always been passionate about helping upperclassmen find their dream schools and has had the position for six years.
“I love the satisfaction of when the acceptances flow in,” he commented. “The joy students feel when they open up their offers is why I do the job.”
So far, the juniors have started building and updating their resumes that show colleges what they have accomplished over the years. They will soon start writing their personal essays early so as to get a head start on the application process.
What makes the class of 2025 so unique is the widespread variety of students. Some students, Mr. Alvarez comments, have college lists brimming with single-digit acceptance schools that are mostly reach-heavy choices. Yet, some have discussed with him that they are mapping out futures at 2-year community colleges.
Additionally, the juniors are very diverse in what they want to possibly major in, the sports they want to pursue, and their general college preparedness.
Some students, like Harley Wachter, have had college lists mapped out for months prior to officially starting college counseling. “I definitely want to major in architecture or interior design,” she said. “Coming from another school where the college program was not the best, I have only heard good things about Mr. Alvarez and the program at OVS, so I am super excited to start!”
However, a decent amount of students, like Andrew Little, have virtually no preparation going into it. “I am actually a little scared of the application process,” he commented, “but for the most part, I am not too concerned where I end up. What I am looking for most is experiences, not necessarily a super name-brand college with a bunch of prestige.”
No matter the level of prior investment into the college application process or the specific path they take, Mr. Alvarez is prepared, as always, to provide them all with help, guidance, and support.
Wish them luck!