The fall of senior year is an exciting time: it’s the last year of high school, the first year of independence. But before you can enjoy the change, there’s the college selection process. For most people, the process is one of the most stressful, anxiety-ridden times in their lives; some kids claim it to be the first time they have ever dealt with real stress. The process is nail biting; it determines not only where you will go to college but how your life will change. I went into the college process not totally ignorant but also not totally ready. I think there are definitely some things you should know beforehand. I’m not talking about going on college tours or even scheduling interviews; that’s information any college counselor will give you. I think all kids need some mental preparation before sending off their applications and crossing their fingers. You need to have a good philosophy.
First of all, it only lasts from September to maybe May or June. If you get accepted Early Decision somewhere, it’s an even shorter wait. It goes by so quickly. Sometimes it can be hard if your friends have applied early and been accepted, and you have not. You may get frustrated.
It helps a lot if you apply Early Action or Early Decision somewhere. Early Decision is binding so if you’re not sure you definitely want to go to a certain school, don’t apply ED. Early Action is nonbinding so if you like a certain school and would like to possibly have a college acceptance by Christmas, there’s no harm in doing Early Action. Having a college acceptance in hand before the second semester can really relieve stress; especially when your best friend keeps wearing her college sweatshirt around you.
You will get into a college. If you have been going to high school for four years, getting decent grades and participating in activities, you will go to college. Now, will it be your first choice? That I don’t know. One thing I have, however, seen is that kids tend to end up going where they are supposed to go. A lot of people I know ended up enrolling at schools they had not planned on attending. But guess what? A majority of them are happy, challenged, and excited. College is college whether you’re at Harvard or a community college, and it’s going to be an exciting time in your life. If you work hard and spend time on your applications, you will be enrolling at a very lucky school.
Don’t let your senior year become all about the college process. Yes, getting into college is important, and you want to get into a good school. But remember that senior year is also about reflecting on your high school experiences, making memories with friends, and starting to make your own choices. It may not seem like it, but it can be very easy to lose this year of your life to applications. Enjoy your last pep rallies, inside jokes, parties, and classes; it’s the last chapter of a special time in your life.
People may not know the school you want to go to, and that is okay. You might really want to go to a school that not a lot of people know, and that is just fine. When you tell people where you’re going to college or where you want to go, politely explain the school to them. You might find hearing your positive remarks about the school makes other people think positively too. Don’t be surprised if you later hear the same person telling someone, “Oh yeah! You know so-and-so is going there; it must be a great school.”
The waitlist is limbo but not always. If you get waitlisted at a college or university, try not to take it personally. Colleges waitlist students who fit their academic profile but who perhaps fall on the edge of the academic pool. Why do you fall on the edge? It could be anything, and it really is a waste of time to try to figure out why you were waitlisted. If you get waitlisted by a school you adore, then if you really want to go there, put your name down on the list. Just remember that being on the waitlist means you are kind of the second banana. You don’t get priority with financial aid, and in some cases, you may not even get priority with campus housing. People have been accepted off waitlists so don’t give up hope! Just perhaps look at the waitlist as a person who finds you interesting but doesn’t know if they want to date you. Keep your options open.
Rejection at any point in any way is a very difficult thing. You may get rejected from your dream school. But you also might get rejected from a school you knew would accept you. These schools are not trying to personally say they don’t want you. They haven’t tracked you down, stalked you, and decided you don’t fit their profile. More and more people are going to college today, and that means schools have to be more and more selective of their candidates. You may never know, like with the waitlist, why you were rejected by a school. My advice is to let your emotions out but eventually accept the situation. There is a school out there who wants you, trust me.
Remember that no matter what the outcome, like with anything in life, you should keep the people and things that make you happy. You might be tempted to bet all your happiness on your acceptance to Oxford, but in the end, you can’t let one thing determine your outlook. While you’re going through this exciting and stressful time, keep the people and things that you love close to you. That way, if things don’t go as planned or even do go as planned, you have the parts of your life that matter to you. The college process will end, but your life will continue.
I know how stressful this time in high school can be for anyone. I also know it doesn’t really ease the anxiety to hear about it from someone who is done with it. But trust me, it will end, and you will find that you are not the same person once it’s finished. If there’s anything you can take out of this time, it’s what you learn about yourself. In some ways, that’s better than any acceptance letter from anywhere.
-Libby Hill, Germantown Academy '10
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