Can you tell us a little about yourself? What high school do you attend? What are some of your important extracurricular activities? Any thoughts about what you want to study in college?

I'm Alex Erdekian, and I go to Wayland High School. The extracurricular activity I'm most involved in is my high school's news publication, Wayland Student Press Network (WSPN). I am Editor-in-Chief of the site and have invested much of my time in high school writing and editing articles, as well as leading the staff. I also was a member of my high school's mock trial team during my junior and senior years. In college, I'll be majoring in Newspaper and Online Journalism at Syracuse University.

When did you begin your college application process? Junior year? Senior year? If given the chance, would you do anything differently?

I began my college process in the spring of junior year, which felt like a good time to start. I do, however, wish that I had put more of my time into SAT preparation.

What aspects of the college application process were most challenging? What was the most fun? Were there any surprises?

The most challenging part of the college application process for me was the soul-searching aspect of writing a personal essay. It was difficult to reach that emotional place to find content for a reflective piece like that. I also found the standardized test preparation process very tedious and difficult to power through. Another challenge I encountered was completing all of the work I faced after taking on a great number of essays. As a writer, a part that I enjoyed was the creative aspect of the essays. The excitement and anticipation of schools that I liked also made the process more enjoyable.

What advice would you give to students in 9-11th grades regarding how they can best prepare for the college application process?

My advice for younger high school students is to make sure you are valuing and prioritizing the qualities you want in a college. This is the best way to avoid unnecessary stress that can come with the application process. If your main priority in the college process is going to the school where you would be happiest, most comfortable, likely to succeed, yet challenged, the process will be easier for you. If your main priority is getting into the most selective school possible, you are more likely to experience unwanted stress.

What college are you planning to attend and how did you make your final choice?

I'm planning to attend Syracuse University, and I made my final choice based on academic programs. I want to go into communications and journalism, and SU has one of the best communication schools in the country, so it was a natural choice for me.

How do you feel that Popp & Associates helped you and your family?

It's impossible to count how many ways Mindy helped me and my family; I would not have been able to get through the process as smoothly as I did without her. First, she helped us create a balanced college list using her resources and knowledge about different schools. She also definitely eliminated a lot of my potential stress by helping me manage and structure my time in terms of getting all of the essays and other tasks done. In addition, Mindy was extremely valuable when we talked through and edited my essays together; her feedback increased their quality overall. Because I am the firstborn, it was great for my family to have someone we could depend on to answer all of our questions since we had no idea what we were doing. Besides helping us in all of the typical ways that a college counselor does, we also developed a great relationship with Mindy that made working together enjoyable and made the process easier.