Volunteers help tackle the daunting process of applying to college

Chanh Nguyen, 18, knew college applications were due soon, but the process baffled him.

The senior at Bellevue's Interlake High School didn't know where to start.

Then along came College Corps, a new volunteer program at Interlake that helps students through the sometimes daunting process of applying to college.

And with college application deadlines looming — many are due around Jan. 1 — the program is getting bombarded with students looking for help, said Ronna Weltman, a Bellevue district volunteer who helped start the program in October.

Every Tuesday, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in Interlake's Career Center, students can make an appointment or drop by and talk with a volunteer.

Volunteers help students with their college searches, financial-aid applications and personal essays.

The program targets juniors and seniors, and is open to students of all backgrounds, even those who don't think they have the grades or the money to go to college, Weltman said. She and the two other volunteers are hoping the program can be expanded to the district's other high schools.

"I tell everyone, 'There are more seats in colleges than bottoms to fill the seats. There is a place for everybody,' " said Weltman, whose son is a senior at Interlake. "You may not get into your top choice school. But you can find a place where you will be happy and successful."

Many of those who take advantage of the program will be the first in their families to go to college, so their parents may not be familiar with the process. And there have been changes since many parents went to college, said Karen Roper, a College Corps volunteer.

"There's more competition now, and a greater sense of pressure," Roper said. "With some students applying for early admission, there is pressure for students to make a choice and commit to it."

For Nguyen, the process felt overwhelming.

His family immigrated from Vietnam when he was 6 years old. His parents didn't attend college.

He had to explain the SAT to them, and how extracurricular activities, such as sports and volunteering, look good on college applications.

"They definitely want me to go to college; it's one of the reasons we came to the U.S.," said Nguyen, a student in the advanced International Baccalaureate program with a 4.0 grade-point average. "But I was really indecisive. I had no idea what colleges to apply to, or what to write my essay about. I was nervous about the whole thing."

He spent hours working with College Corps volunteers. They helped him research colleges and organize his thoughts and ideas for his essays.

He's hoping to study engineering at Stanford University, and is also waiting to hear from Cornell, Carnegie Mellon and Rensselaer Polytechnic.

During a recent Tuesday afternoon, Hemanth Srinivas, 23, a College Corps volunteer, chatted with three juniors about what colleges they might apply to next year.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm really scared about it," said Maida Suljevic, 16. "College is going to be so new and different and so many new people. I've been going to school with all the same people since sixth grade."

The others nod in agreement.

"College is a big thing on your radar right now," Srinivas told the teens. "The way to keep from getting scared is to take it step by step."

It wasn't that long ago that Srinivas graduated from Cornell University, before getting a job at Microsoft.

"I've been through it all, and I made some mistakes along the way," Srinivas said. "I like helping people avoid the pitfalls."

Rachel Tuinstra: 206-515-5637 or rtuinstra@seattletimes.com