As the last college decisions are rolling out and the senior class is finalizing their choice of where to go to college, for whatever reason, it still doesn’t feel over. After many months of college visits, applications, essays, recommendations, rejections, waitlists, deferrals and acceptances, I expected a huge wave of relief. But instead, there’s this lingering sense of stress, this feeling of uncertainty that I think a lot of seniors can relate to.
Part of the issue is the high expectations I set for this moment. While I do feel that my hard work has paid off, the relief I imagined just doesn’t come as easily as I thought it would. Once the stress of applications went away, it was quickly replaced by the stress of opening the decision letters. When that moment was over, the stress of leaving home and starting college came up.
The end goal, or what seems like the finish line, constantly shifted throughout this entire process, and it was incredibly frustrating and discouraging. I thought that I knew what to expect from my older sister’s experience, but every time I got through one challenge, another one appeared. My whole perspective on applying to college has changed dramatically now that I’ve gone through it. It’s not just about the acceptance letter or the final decision, it’s about everything that happens in between and even after.
My advice to juniors or even underclassmen would be to avoid getting caught up in the culture of stress and to not ignore your mental health. Those feelings of anxiety don’t magically disappear once you get into college, because you still have the pressure of attending that college. It’s a reality that, from my experience, can get overlooked in the process.
