With graduation coming around the corner, seniors rush to turn in college applications and be accepted into the colleges of their dreams. The Marionette recently checked in with seniors Garrett Eakers, James Williams, Cade Bross, Cerelia Larrinaga, Alex Santillian and Garrett Saunders to find out where they’ve been accepted and what their plans are after graduation.

Q: What schools have you been accepted to? Deferred?

Eakers: I only applied to one college with rolling admission, the others all give their decision notifications by April 1st. So the only one I’ve heard back from is OU. But, I was accepted and am waiting on the decisions of their Honors college and Medical Humanities Scholars program. I’ll just have to wait on all the other admissions decisions.

Williams: I’ve been accepted to OU so that’s good so that’s like the first step in the National Merit process. The only two of my top choice colleges I applied to were U Chicago and MIT which I was deferred to both and I won’t hear back until March on those.

Bross: I was accepted to OU. I’m waiting for responses on others but no deferrals.

Larrinaga: I was accepted to Beloit, Hendrix, Oberlin, OU and Drexel.

Santillian: I have been accepted to two of my top five schools. The University of Dallas and Franciscan University. I was deferred to my second choice school which is University of Chicago.

Saunders: I have been accepted to Oklahoma State and I plan to attend there.

Q: What made you pick that school?

Eakers: I chose OU because of their National Merit scholarship package, it covers most of my college costs and offers money for research and studying abroad. Their sequential BS/MD program was also a key factor, as well was the liberal arts nature of their donors college. Plus, both of my parents graduated from there.

Williams: I guess I’ll just start with UChicago. They have a really great economics program and that’s kind of always been one of my interests. I also got to visit the campus over the summer and it was really beautiful and I really like the feel of it and I feel that it will be a good fit. So academics and campus life. With MIT, it’s really just the fact that I might go into engineering possibly and it’s probably one of the best engineering degrees you can get anywhere in the country. That was really just kind of a good fit. I applied early action through a program called QuestBridge.

Bross: OU is a great local school and they offer great financial aid packages.

Larrinaga: Well the program that I really want to go. . . It’s kind of a new program so that’s a few of the schools that seemed to have what I wanted and offered what I wanted.

Santillian: I chose Dallas and Franciscan because they are both medium sized universities that I would feel at home since I would be able to meet more students than I would say at OU. I also chose these because they are Catholic schools and I want to attend a school that has some of the same beliefs as me. The University of Chicago is a different story. When I visited, I fell in love with the city and I knew I would always have something to do if I lived there. I also chose it for its academics. It’s ranked fourth in the nation and I want to continue having a phenomenal education like the one I am receiving at Harding.

Saunders: I picked OSU because it’s where most of my family has gone and I’ve grown up going to all the football, wrestling, basketball and baseball games. I love the campus and the people there and it excels in the degree that I’m looking into. It has always been my dream school.

Q: What major do you plan to pursue?

Eakers: I’m torn between pursuing a microbiology major before going to med school, or a major related to political science. With either, I’ll probably pursue a minor in business management.

Williams: At this point, I’m narrowed it down to engineering, economics, political science and business. They’re the four degrees I might want to go into but I might change my mind.

Bross: I’m undecided on my major, but I may do engineering or another science as a pre-med option.

Larrinaga: I plan on pursuing environmental sustanibility.

Santillian: I plan on majoring in biology or international relations. I chose biology because I want to become a doctor and better the lives of people that are ill. I chose international relations because I am thinking about a career as an international lawyer and possibly getting involved with international politics later on in life. I even chose to do my mentorship over this career because I want to see if it really is a good career I could go into.

Saunders: I plan to major in civil engineering with a minor in business because it has great potential as well as an opportunity to give back to the community while doing something that really interests me.

Q: How do you feel about being accepted/deferred?

Eakers: It’s reassuring. I’m very content and relieved that I got into at least one of my first-choice schools. Being able to go to their Honors college, if my other plans don’t work out, fulfils my desire to go to a small liberal arts college. That was one of my main concerns in my application process, so I’m glad that I have that much of my future lined up

Williams: Being accepted to OU is good. It’s good to feel like they want you to go there. It’s a little frustrating because at MIT, they defer 70% early applicants so it’s kind of like a rejection. If they wanted you to be there, they would have accepted you. At the same time, it feels good to know I can compete with these people even if I did get deferred, I’m still a qualified applicant and they will review my application in the spring and compare me to the regular decision because they think I could be a good fit and qualified to study there.

Bross: It’s nice to be accepted to OU. We will have to seee if Brown or UChicago accepts me.

Larrinaga: I’m excited. I’m also kind of nervous. It’s a little difficult when you have a lot of options but you don’t know where you can get the money for a certain school so you’re trying to apply for a lot of scholarships and just apply for as much as I can. I’m excited but really stressed out.

Santillian: When I first got my acceptance letters, I was ecstatic. I felt like I was entering a new chapter in my life. It is also a relief since I know that I have options on where I can attend. Being deferred is completely different. Because UChicago is at the top of my list, I was willing to do anything for an acceptance letter from them. I waited in anxietty for their answer and I could only count down the days to the day of the release of results. When I got the email telling me results were out, I went to my UChicago account and sat there for about 10 minutes debating whether I wanted to know what the answer was. I finally opened it and it said I was deferred. My heart sank at that point. I thought I failed. I was with Rebecca (Trevizo) when I found out the results and she comforted me. She made me realize that I was a competitive candidate and just needed further review. So now I see my decision as a reassurance that I have the qualities that the university is looking for. When you do, however, get deferred, it feels like  the end of the world when it’s not.

Saunders: I was ecstatic to get that acceptance letter in the mail.  I’d been dreaming about it for years.

Q: How do you feel about graduating from HCP?

Eakers: I feel a little intimidated. I know Harding’s couse load prepares students for college, but if I’m a pre-med student I know the course load will be rough but I’m also pretty excited about possibly getting to attend a liberal arts college. So as of right now, I’m just ready to see what is next.

Williams: It’s exciting. Just to be graduating high school, it’s really exciting and I’m excited to go to college. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I guess I’m also a little sad because I spent the last four years with these people and I might see a few of them over the summer but a lot of them, it will be the last time I’ll see them after I graduate so that’s a sad thought. Overall, I really feel excited to see what’s going to happen. I feel that high school was really successful for me and I continue that after college.

Bross: It’s bittersweet to be graduating. I can’t say I’ll miss the homework or tests, but I’ve gotten to know so many people and it’s sad that we will be parting ways soon.

Larrinaga: I’ve been ready for the past four years (laughs).

Santillian: As far as graduating from Harding, it feels different. The time has just flown by so much that it does not feel like I am a senior about to leave. I feel relieved to be done with high school because I’m ready to start a new chapter of my life but at the same time I feel scared for the same reason.

Saunders: It’s sad to be graduating from Harding, however, I know I’ve been well prepared for college and I am thankful for my experiences at HCP.