Torey Leverton entered into her senior year of high school knowing full well the college application process would be competitive. Yet the 17-year-old didn't realize how cumbersome it would feel until she was fully engrossed in writing essays and filling out applications. 

"I was struggling to balance my current schooling and my future schooling," the Lanark, Illinois, student told USA TODAY. 

Another year of remote learning was weighing on her, and the final high school memories she had looked forward to disappeared one-by-one as she lost her homecoming, prom and graduation. 

"Before senior year even started, I was ready for it to be over," she recalled. "School became considerably less enjoyable when there were no longer sweet memories attached. To be honest, I stopped caring for a while. I felt immeasurably stuck."