Petra Lee
Class of 2025 members: Olivia Bellinzoni, Alex Winkowski, Olivia Lore, and Matthew Romano (left to right)
As seniors enter the new school year, many are confronted with the college application process. Wissahickon alumni Olivia Bellinzoni (‘25), currently a freshman at Lehigh University in the Computer Science & Business Honors Program, and Olivia Lore (‘25), currently a freshman at Wellesley College on a pre-law track playing collegiate soccer, reflected upon their senior years and respective college application processes. For seniors and future upperclassmen planning to apply to college or get recruited for sport, Bellinzoni and Lore can offer valuable advice on maneuvering through the uncertain journey.
What was the highlight of your senior year?
Bellinzoni: “I really enjoyed being able to try new things without feeling any pressure since it was the end of high school. I decided to take chorus and join treble choir because why not? I tried to make the most of my year and make memories and friendships I would cherish even once the moments had passed.”
Lore: “Every opportunity I had to perform musically, specifically in the musical and my spring voice recital, [was the highlight of my senior year]. I’ve worked really hard to improve and build confidence and technique to sing at that level, and I’m really proud and happy to see how that work has culminated in my senior year.”
What do you wish you did differently/regret doing during your senior year?
Bellinzoni: “I wish I had asked others to look over my essay and supplemental essays. No one read over my Common App essay but me. That was not the best call, but it worked out in the end. I think the only piece of application material I had anyone read was my Pitt honors supplemental—shout out Ms. Pronko!”
Lore: “I wish I spent more time with my family. Now that college is imminent, it’s hitting me how much I’m going to miss my household of eight. They are my biggest supporters and make me laugh the hardest. I’m excited for college, but I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving break already when I can see them again.”
What is your best advice for handling stress during college application season?
Bellinzoni: “Limit the number of colleges you apply to! Every additional college on your list is added stress. Unless you are applying to specialized programs (like BS/MD), or if you are trying to find the school that will give you the most in scholarship, you do not need to apply to anywhere near 10 or more schools. Save yourself the agony!”
Lore: “Use your teachers and use your counselors! They are there to help you and they want you to succeed. Ask them to read your essays, review your application, and get suggestions about which colleges might be a good fit for you. You will end up where you are meant to end up! Don’t fret!”
How did you handle facing rejections and uncertainty during the process?
Bellinzoni: “I wasn’t terribly attached to any school in particular so luckily the couple rejections weren’t that bad. I ended up getting waitlisted from Tufts and was faced with the decision to accept or decline. I sat down to write that letter of continued interest, and I had nothing all that meaningful to say. That was my sign that it was not worth the wait.”
Lore: “I had a good support system—my coaches, my family, my teachers. When a school stopped reaching out to me for soccer it was a lot easier to try to accept off the bat that they weren’t a good match for me rather than dwell on why I ‘wasn’t good enough.’ It’s more often than not that it has nothing to do with you being ‘good’ and more with the institution not being a good fit. You are still smart and capable, but not every culture and community is going to be your perfect fit.”
How did you decide on which school to commit to at the end?
Bellinzoni: “Pitt was the first school I got into and Boston University was the last (and most unexpected). After regular decisions were released, I was also accepted to Lehigh, and I was between those three schools. Getting into BU set me back a bit in my decision because of its reputation as a ‘competitive school.’ However, I just couldn’t get past the feeling of not belonging there. After visiting Pitt again and deciding it was a good fit, but not fully a great one, I reached out to an academic counselor at Lehigh to inquire about the dual degree program that I am now attending. I had the opportunity to speak with multiple individuals who cared about my future and education. I went to Lehigh’s very last admitted students day, and everything that I heard about life at Lehigh solidified it as a place at which I felt I belonged. I met the counselor I had been emailing with in person, and she greeted me by name. When I told another counselor I was going to commit to Lehigh, she pulled up a soundboard on her iPad and set off various air horns and celebrated. It’s a bit cheesy, but that’s the kind of enthusiasm and connection I was looking for, and I finally found it in late April a week before decision day!”
Lore: “I loved the environment at Wellesley. The liberal arts education and all-girls element that makes female students and athletes a priority was a total seller for me. Moreover, I’m only 15 minutes away from one of the most renowned college cities in the world, Boston, and I can’t wait to explore it and eat a lot of lobster!”