Applying to college can be a stressful time for everyone. Whether you’re deciding between schools, retaking a standardized test, visiting campuses, or trying to perfect your supplemental essays, this time of year can feel overwhelming and full of pressure. There are countless decisions that need to be made, and it’s completely normal to feel uncertain and unprepared.
During moments like these, it can be very comforting to hear a few encouraging words, a reminder to do your best, and most importantly, try and have fun. Also, a piece of advice to help you stay grounded can go a very long way. Sometimes even the smallest bit of reassurance can make the entire process feel a little more manageable and help to relieve some of those nerves.
Most people will agree that senior year is too late to start visiting colleges. Senior Ethan Avera said, “I think one mistake that I made was I visited a lot of schools over the summer this year really intensively, and it was exhausting.” Almost everyone will say they wished they started the process earlier. Ethan recommends not only starting the process earlier but also making sure to stretch it out so all of the visits have their own time without feeling rushed.
Another important part that can cause stress is having to take and retake standardized tests like the ACT or SAT. Senior Ila Wall said, “I went to a tutoring place, but I found that it was a little more helpful if you just keep redoing practice tests for the SAT because it’s more about repetition.” She used two methods to help her study over a longer period of time compared to Avera, who spoke about how he did “a week where it was two-hour sessions every day,” showing that he did one very intense week. Both of these practice types helped these students, so part of the college process is finding what works for the individual.
Supplemental essays are arguably the most important part of applications. Wall said, “I went on the school websites first and found important details that related to my majors for those kinds of supplements, and then I also made sure to add personal anecdotes because that really makes your essay stand out from someone else’s.” Doing a little research beforehand can really help make or break an essay.
Talking to seniors, almost every single one of them would tell you to start the process early. Whether you are researching for general information about the college, thinking about your future major, or just starting your application, just get started. Getting started early can make the entire process so much easier and smoother.
Overall, college is supposed to be a fun and exciting experience that is meant to bring joy to all students. Even though deciding on a college can be stressful, it is important to slow down and spend time picking what is right for you. The most important aspect of college, though, is to enjoy the process and choose what feels right for you.
