Senior year is not what my friends and I imagined it would be. Instead of the fun of going on class trips, taking the perfect yearbook photo, or just cooling off after three years of high school, the 12th grade is surprisingly stressful.

According to a UCLA survey of college freshmen in 2015, 18 percent of students spent 16 hours or more with their friends each week during their senior year of high school. That’s compared to 37.9 percent of students surveyed in 1987.

I can relate to that statistic. As a high school freshman at International Community High School in Mott Haven, my friends and I expected to be more independent in the 12th grade. Yet, no one warned us about the responsibilities that come with being a senior and the added pressure of being a teen immigrant who aspires to go to college. I came from the Dominican Republic in 2011, and I’ve always set big goals for myself.

In 2016, I’ll be applying to the University of Tampa in Florida.  It’s my dream college and it offers opportunities that will hopefully lead to a career in sports management.

But the thought of how to pay for school is stressful. One year’s tuition is about $25,000, discounting room and board. Financial aid is an option, but the process is long. And even if I get some money, I would still have to apply for additional loans and scholarships, which are not easy to get. The emphasis on SAT scores and GPAs is understandable, but the system is a bit unfair.

As an immigrant, it is hard to stay on top of my grades while learning a new language. I know my friends and I are smart, but college administrators and even high school counselors do not understand the daily struggles immigrant students face. The process of adapting, doing work that you don’t really understand, or being distracted by personal issues can sometimes bring our grades down. It doesn’t mean that we won’t be able to overcome all that and do really well in school.

I think that this should matter when applying for college. Colleges should look at each applicant as a whole person. Numbers can’t sum up how good a student will be in college. Many students never get the chance to prove themselves because SAT scores keep them out. Even with impressive personal statements, completed high school credits, extracurricular activities and letters of recommendations, students are still not accepted  That’s just not fair.

In a recent Washington Post op-ed, college administrator Kristin Tichenor explains why her school, Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, adopted a test-optional admissions policy in 2008.

She writes: “Most gate-keepers in higher education continue to require standardized tests that we know correlate strongly with race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The irony is that for even the most selective institutions, admissions decisions are based primarily on the rigor of a student’s high school course program and demonstrated academic achievement, not on test scores.”

But unfortunately, most schools have not taken that approach.

We live in era where people are judged by numbers.  Inside school it’s about GPAs and SAT scores while outside of school it’s about how many followers you have on Instagram or how many likes you get on Facebook.

When you are only defined as a number or statistic, it’s tough for many students to get past that label. Some teens decide not to go through with college and instead get a job to support their families. International Community High School, an English Language Learners school, has many students that are brilliant with a lot of great ideas, but they lose confidence because their English is not always perfect by their senior year.

They are afraid to move forward with their dreams. This sometimes has an impact on their grades. Even though they study a lot, the language challenges can be a barrier to other opportunities. Many push forward but the stress is a lot for a 17-year-old.

We shouldn’t be defined by numbers. The character of our actions should speak louder than a math score on an SAT exam. I expected classes to be harder. Tests didn’t surprise me either in my senior year, but what I did not count on was the high level of stress. Yes, teachers are encouraging, but no one can prepare you for the reality of what applying for college really means and learning to be an adult.