As the clock winds down, students cram to manage all of their applications and submissions. photo by Ben Scherer
While senior year proves to be an exciting time for students to embark on their next adventure, the college admissions process is laced with pressure and stress.
For high school seniors around the world, the college application and admissions process is frequently described as a marathon. Weeks, months, and sometimes even years of preparation, essay revisions, and application submissions create an exhausting environment for students. However, the stress of the application doesn’t end when you press submit; in fact, the journey has just begun. Having mostly applied only to regular decisions myself, I understand and feel the weight of this lengthy process. What comes after you press submit is an anxious waiting game and a looming financial question of affordability.
Most of my friends decided to get all of their applications finished and submitted by the early application or early decision deadlines. On the other hand, I took the regular decision route for the majority of my schools. My logic behind the decision was simple: I wanted and needed more time to review and perfect my applications. This decision was one that I made quickly, but the results of this choice meant that I would still be deep in the admissions process while others were already receiving letters of acceptance. As I prepared to press submit, the stress building up to the moment of meeting that deadline was immense. Between balancing schoolwork, extracurriculars, work commitments, and the perfectionism that is innate with writing essays, I had begun to feel completely overwhelmed.
Having dreamt of finishing all of my submissions, I expected a sense of accomplishment and freedom once they were done. However, what followed was a completely new wave of stress: waiting. In between pressing submit and admissions results being released, there is a period of time filled with anticipation and a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Every time my phone dings with an email notification, my heart races. Each conversation about college decisions feels like a constant reminder of how little control I have. The waiting period for me has easily been the hardest part of the process. During the application phase, I was able to focus my efforts in order to culminate a specific outcome, whereas in the post submission process, everything is passive. I am left only to wait, wonder, and hope, my mind flooded with thoughts. Am I enough? Did I stand out? What if all of the schools I want to go to reject me? These questions, amongst many others, made focusing on anything else immensely difficult.
Beyond the stress of waiting, there are many more pressure factors that loom over the face of college attendance. If admission wasn’t enough, there is also the major pressure of finance, the cost associated with college attendance. Getting into college is one thing, but then being able to afford each school is a whole different rodeo. Many students around the world, including myself, face the sad reality that the cost of college is damaging. Even with grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the numbers really often don’t add up the way we hoped they would. The uncertainty of the viability of loans or being able to pay for school is an entirely new stressor that makes the waiting period that much more difficult. The search process is much more than just where I can get in – it’s about where I can truly afford to go. Now, conversations with my parents about loans, potential work-study options, and the cost of tuition are frequent occurrences in my household. With every acceptance letter comes a financial aid package, and with each letter opening, I hope to find the package that allows me to decide where I can truly attend.
As I navigate through this stressful time in my life, one of the most reaffirming aspects is knowing I am not alone. Each student going through the application process is feeling the same weight of uncertainty in one way or another. Whether waiting for decisions, worrying about finances, or both, the trick to staying afloat is focusing on what you can truly control and reassuring yourself you will end up at the right place. The college admissions process is difficult and tiring, but this experience is also a beneficial learning experience from which I have learned patience and resilience. Although I am still unsure where I am going, I know I have done everything I can to benefit and secure a spot for my future, and all that’s left is to trust.
