The college application process stresses students out 
due to the various components. Ava Gillis/ Coppell Student Media 

By: Jessica Sanchez and Bryan Gonzalez

Over the last few years, studies show that less students are going to college, and here is why.

Researchers are starting to worry as they see that college enrollment keeps declining every year nationwide, due to various components that lead seniors into not wanting to attend college. 

When talking about seniors who didn’t go to college, it is important to acknowledge that there are many factors that impact their overall decision. 

One of the factors that could have an impact on the student’s decision to attend college is the overall cost to attend. Lower income students could feel intimidated with the idea of going to college because of the cost of tuition, housing, transportation, textbooks, and etc. 

A junior from Animo Pat Brown says that he does not plan on going to college. He believes that college does not guarantee a successful career. ¨When you graduate you have a 50% chance of getting the job you studied for¨ he said. 

Although financial aid and other opportunities are available to help pay for college, students might feel like it is not enough to pay and they rather not bother their parents with more debt.

Instead of making their parents pay off college debt, some seniors rather get a job, and help out their families with rent or bills. Some seniors may feel like they are better off making their own money. Some options that might feel easier to seniors are internships, military, and applying to entry level positions. 

The overall high school experience could be the reason seniors do not attend college. Students may feel discouraged and think that college is too hard for them, since they barely did well in high school. Reflecting on their grades, they think that they will not succeed in college. 

Moreover, seniors could feel overwhelmed with the infinite amount of things they could do with their future. With endless opportunities in life, one may want to think about what they want to do with their life and evaluate if they even need college to reach their goal. 

Some seniors might choose to travel, to work, or to pursue their career, and so on. At the time, it could be impossible to choose a direct route which is why some seniors take a break, and think about what they want to do in life. 

Another option that seniors might choose instead of going to college is alternative schooling. Some alternative schooling may include vocational school, online college, work college, job training programs, and etc. 

Seniors can choose alternative schools instead of college because they can get a higher paying job with a shorter career which would be faster than going to college. 

Many seniors feel like high school does not prepare 
them for their future. LendEDU-College/ The College Fix 

Others feel that high school does not prepare them enough for college. Spending very little time talking about college is not helpful to students since there are many complex components about applying or actually attending college. Heading into college with no knowledge of what to do next scares students away from attending. 

Similarly, when talking about the lack of knowledge, students may feel discouraged from attending college due to the lack of moral support. This can be from families, counselors, and etc. Students who are the first generation of their family, find it difficult to apply for college when their parents do not know anything about the college process either. 

Applying to college is something that is very complex since there are many different applications students need to fill out. Due date after due date causes heavy stress on the seniors, which makes them feel defeated. With all the stress that comes with simply applying for college, it leaves some students feeling like it is not worth their time. 

The various applications students have to fill out demonstrates how seniors get easily stressed out about how many things they have to do to apply for a college. Some seniors avoid the stress of college applications or college in general by simply not applying.

A senior from Animo Pat Brown says that he does not plan on going to college. He says that he will avoid the stress of going. ¨There will be times when you need money but also want to continue college. It is hard doing both at the same time¨ he says. 

Overall, choosing whether or not to go to college is not a simple decision. According to some students at APB and research among students nationwide, they believe that college is not the only route to success. College is always an option, but it is not something all seniors want to do straight out of high school.