As the Coordinator for the College Resource Center (CRC) at South, Liz Naporano spends a majority of her time, especially during the first few months of the school year helping students with the process of applying to college, and eventually submitting each of their applications before certain deadlines.

“It’s a little bit different this year because of COVID, but typically the counselors use me to make sure that their students are on track, and (doing) the right paperwork,” Naporano said. “This includes making sure students get their teachers’ Letters of Recommendation and also with their Status of Application Form.”

According to Naporano, the college application process has changed dramatically since she first started working at South, including how information is communicated between students and the counseling department.

“Before COVID, we did a lot of things that were not electronic, including the Status of Application survey,” Naporano said. “It was always just a sheet that kids would fill out and give to their counselors. Now everything is done online. I liked the old way (better) because students would come in and visit. Now everything is done online, which isn’t as fun but makes more sense.”

When it comes to the topic of applying for colleges, Naporano emphasizes making sure that students submit their applications on time and don’t procrastinate on anything.

“Don’t put it off,” Naporano said. “I always tell people to try and get their applications done before Christmas break. You want to go into the holidays with a clear head, you don’t want to have to worry about anything and have it all done.”