Reena Natla (12) knew from an early age that she had a deep interest in politics. As a child, she tagged along with her parents when they went to vote. And now as a high schooler, she has spent two summers working on the campaign team for Elissa Slotkin, the 7th District US Representative from Michigan. Because of her appreciation for all things political, deciding to go to school for political science was an easy choice for her. 

“From a young age, it was always like, doctor, engineer, or lawyer,” Natla said. “[My parents are] immigrant parents, so I knew that I didn’t want to be a doctor, because my sister is in med school, and my parents are both in the medical field. I wanted to be different.” 

So, she decided to apply to college early so she could “enjoy her senior year.” Even though deciding what she was going to continue her studies in was easy, the real task was finding where she would like to continue. Natla ended up applying to 12 different schools, most of them being out of state. 

“I couldn’t narrow down my list much because I’m such an indecisive person,” Natla said. “So, once I do have this decision, it’s gonna be even harder because this is gonna dictate what I want to do for the next four years,” Natla said.

While the choices may seem endless for Natla, for others, the possibilities aren’t as infinite. For Adelina Zambova (12), she will only choose from two preferred colleges. Taking inspiration from her mom, Zambova’s interests were in early childhood education. She decided the two best places for her were Saginaw Valley State University or Grand Valley State University, with the latter being the front-runner. 

“I love what [my mom] does,” Zambova said. “At Grand Valley, I wanted to apply to speech pathology, because I want to be in a career that I’m going to make the most money in. And to be a therapist, you’ll be paid the most.” 

Regardless of when someone applies, the most important part of it all, according to Zambova, is the mindset. With the correct mentality and dedication, any dream can become a reality. 

“As corny as it sounds, [my mindset is what I need] to think about,” Zambova said. “Going into it, you have to be like, ‘okay, I am capable of getting into the school,’ because if you go into [the application process] with a bad mindset, thinking you’re not going to get in, you probably won’t.”