WEB EXCLUSIVE

As college admissions deadlines and decisions approach, many seniors feel overwhelmed, stressed, and nervous about what seems to be the ‘most important decision’ of their lives. 

Personally, getting in my applications was a long process that I started in the summer by writing my Common App essay. I felt lost about where to start, and overwhelmed with the amount of time applications were going to take me. 

Come October, balancing filling out the Common App and keeping grades up was extremely difficult. Making sure my writing was perfect and that my applications were accurate was my top priority, but I couldn’t let my grades suffer from this, as my grades are an equally important portion of the application as well. 

Not everyone chooses to apply Early Decision like I did, so many of my friends are still rushing to finish their applications in December. Even more so, the pressure heightens when others are receiving acceptance letters and you still haven’t finished your essay. 

Not to mention, even more pressure is added when it comes to comparison to your peers. At a competitive high school, it’s easy to feel insecure about grades or SAT scores. Some are quick to judge which schools you apply to by high acceptance rate, if it’s “easy to get into”. Or if you choose to apply out of state, the comments about tuition costs and student debt are never ending. 

But remember, the end is in sight. Now that I have received several acceptance letters, I can finally let loose a little. However, the next big step is making that decision, which is the most important part of the process as a whole.