Do you jump to attention every time your phone receives a new email? Is the first place you head when you get home from school the mailbox? Do you think of your life in terms of deadlines and the time it takes to revise an essay? Then you are most likely in the process of applying to colleges.
Let me be the most recent in a long line of people to congratulate you on going this far. But I am sure that is not what you want to hear. What you want to hear is that someday soon, you are going to be on the other side of this hellish process, settled somewhere great and happy. I know this seems pretty unrealistic, standing where you do now, knee deep in supplementary essays and ACT practice tests, but believe me, you will get there. In the meantime, here is a bit of advice that will hopefully keep you sane these next couple weeks, and maybe even help those of you who feel a little directionless.
First, as terrifying as college applications are, fill out as many as you can. Yes, that may make me sound insane, but I promise you, it is worth it. I applied to 10 schools, and while, yes, that condemned me to hours in my room, filling out endless questions about leadership positions and my GPA, it was more than worth the extra work to have plenty of options. In fact, by the time I got response from all of my schools, I had a pool of diverse, wonderful schools to choose from, and the choice was entirely in my hands. Giving yourself as many options as possible is the biggest favor you can do for yourself in this process, because maximizing your options will help ensure you go to the best school for you.
Next, never ever let a rejection or deferral make you crumble. Last year what I thought was my hands down dream school deferred me the day before I went on Winter Break. I was inconsolable. And then, as time went on, I grew okay with thought of not going there. As cliché as it sounds, if a school rejects you, you probably were not meant to be there. Believe it or not, there is more than one right school out there for you, so do not beat yourself up over not getting into one. And, hopefully, you will take my advice and give yourself as many options as possible so one rejection will not be the end of the world.
Finally, do not let your original expectations dictate your final decision. You may think now you have found your perfect school, in the perfect location, with the best possible social scene and academics, but there are great things about every school, so keep an open mind. Remember that dream school I mentioned earlier? I ended up taking my tuition dollars elsewhere, and I could not be happier with my decision. I ended up at College of Charleston, and I would not change my life today for anything.
No matter how much you love a school now, accept the fact that it could be wrong for you and save yourself a lot of heartache later. Overall, prioritize what you really want to get out of college. Is an amazing location worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans? Are amazing academics worth having no conceivable social scene? Being honest with yourself while answering these questions is the most important thing when it comes to decision time. And, when you finally reach that fateful decision, pat yourself on the back and take comfort in the fact that you’re on the cusp of an amazing four years. Get ready -- it will be here before you know it.
