When I was applying to college, I remember the stress that I felt. I spent countless hours pouring over applications and essays. I spent almost every Saturday either preparing for an interview or sitting in a coffee shop with alumni of one of the schools I applied to, talking about what makes this school special or what that school had that no other school offered. I applied to 19 schools and spent a month of my summer studying for my ACTs and SATs.

I toured 10 universities, and by the time I got my decision letters, I was honestly just ready to go to college. Having spent a full semester here at Baylor, I wish someone would have told me these five things before I applied to college. If these tips can help even one high school junior or senior, I will have done my job well.

1. You will end up where you're supposed to end up.

This was really hard for me to comprehend and accept this when I was applying to college, and it was even harder for me to accept when I was denied from my dream school. I was heartbroken. I had put so much time and effort into my application for my dream school, and to be rejected was a major blow to my confidence. It felt like I wasn't good enough to go to that school because of how I had scored on a test or what I had done in high school. Even though I was rejected from my dream school (and it hurt, trust me), I ended up here at Baylor. This wasn't where I originally wanted to go to college, but I love it here. I can't imagine going to school anywhere else. The people I've met and the fun we've had is more than I ever dreamed of. You will end up where you're meant to be. Trust me.

2. College will be so much better than high school.

For me, high school was the worst four years of my life thus far. Sure, I had some great times. I meet some great friends and I did some fun stuff. But I've had a better time here at college in the last four months than I ever did in high school. I have friends that I would do anything for and who would do anything for me. I'm able to be my own person and not feel judged like I did in high school. There aren't people who are rude or annoying like there were in high school. College is a much better place.

3. If you couldn't take AP or IB classes, it's OK.

I didn't take AP or IB classes, and I got into a great school. Colleges will understand if you didn't have the opportunity to take these classes because of where you went to school or what your school offered. Just take the best classes you can, and do your best. The rest will follow.

4. Alumni interviews are way less intimidating than they sound.

When I was contacted for my first alumni interview, I was so nervous. I prepared lists of questions to ask about the school and I made my parents quiz me on everything I could think of. I wanted to be as prepared as possible. When it came to actual interview day, I realized that it wasn't as intimidating as I thought. The alumni were always super nice, and we usually just got coffee and talked about school and books and what I liked to do. Sometimes we would Skype, and that was even more relaxed. During one interview the lights went out in my alumni's house, so we had to continue by flashlight. Don't stress about these interviews. They're actually pretty fun.

5. Be yourself.

As cliche and overstated as this is, it is beyond true. In your essays, your extracurriculars, and your applications, just be you. Colleges want to see what you can bring to campus, and I can guarantee that you'll bring a lot more than you think.