Mike Juliani, of Pasadena, Calif., spent three days writing, revising and editing the essay he hoped would get him into the National High School Institute -- Journalism at Northwestern University.

Juliani’s school had sent its editors-in-chief to the program for five years. But he wasn’t feeling safe. He couldn’t resist the urge to check in with the teacher who was writing his letter of recommendation.

“I had his cell phone number,” Juliani said, “I called him over spring break. I was so frantic.”

For some, the most nerve-racking part of the pre-NHSI experience was applying and getting everything in the application right. For others, it was waiting for the acceptance letter.

Juliani’s mother was more concerned when the acceptance letter arrived.

“My mom worried because the letter came in a small envelope,” Juliani said., “I was just really excited when I got the letter.”

About two applications were submitted for every available spot in the program, according to program director Roger Boye.

Mike Stern, of Livingston, N. J., was unsure whether he would be admitted to NHSI. He had stumbled across the program while looking on the Internet for things to do during the summer.

“I was nervous,” Stern said. “I figured there were a lot of qualified people.”

Julia Haskins, of Washington, D.C., said she was nervous about her essay.

“There were a few grammatical errors,” Haskins said. “I just thought, ‘I’m not gonna get in.’”

She learned about the program while researching Northwestern University. She saw was eager for an opportunity to study before applying. Juliani was planning to attend a similar journalism program held at the University of Southern California.

“It’s cheaper and closer,” Juliani said. “But when I put things into perspective, you can’t beat what you learn here.”