Applying to high school is an important moment in a person’s life, but it is also a very difficult one. Applying to Xavier is an especially nerve-wracking process for many of the young women hoping to become Baby Gators.

Senior Rachel Steinheiser remembers turning in her application only four years ago.

Steinheiser dealt with the same anxiety all Xavier students felt during the application process as eighth graders.

“I really wanted to attend Xavier, but of course I was nervous as well,” Steinheiser said.

For Steinheiser, the hardest part of applying was having confidence in herself.

“I was so unsure of my abilities [that] it made the entire process very stressful,” Steinheiser said.

Looking back she realizes that while the anxiety is a part of the process, it is important to sit back sometimes and enjoy the experience.

“Many people, including myself, get themselves so worked up during the application season that they forget to enjoy the process,” Steinheiser said. “Applying to high school is exciting; it’s where you’re going to spend some of the most formative years of your life.”

Steinheiser’s advice for applicants: keep calm, be yourself, and enjoy it.

Steinheiser’s hard work and stress finally paid off when her letter arrived in the mail.

“When I got my acceptance letter, I felt so much relief! And excitement, of course, but mostly relief. The letter arrived so much later than my friends’ did that I thought I had been rejected, but when it finally showed up in the mail, I almost screamed,” Steinheiser said.

Steinheiser advises incoming freshmen to prepare themselves for the unique experience that is Xavier.

“My advice for you is to try. Try as many new clubs and activities as you can, especially ones you’d never considered yourself doing before. High school is a time to explore and learn about yourself. From the time of your arrival to the time you leave as an adult at the end of senior year, you will have met some of the most amazing people and learned things about yourself you’d never known before.”

According to Steinheiser, “all you gotta do to find these wonderful things is to give it a try.”