The college process is stressful for everyone and thank God I'm finally done with it! To anyone going through it, you know what I mean. Here are the five stages of the college process that you know too well.
1. The Overly-Optimistic Sophomore
Around your sophomore year, you probably thought you were on your way to a full ride to an Ivy League of your choice. The workload wasn't too hard, tests were fairly easy, and math wasn't impossible yet. Everything was looking up and you were just living' life.
2. The Junior Year Panic
The workload just got heavier, classes are harder, and you're stressed out beyond belief. Between extracurriculars, AP classes, and SAT prep, do you have any time to relax? Probably not. This is when that whole Ivy League dream of yours may start to fade. But don't worry, there's plenty of colleges out there for you! You just gotta trust the process.
3. The Not-So-Senior Year
Yooooo! You made it. You’re finally a senior. All that work of junior year is a thing of the past, right? WRONG. The fall semester of your senior year will most likely be one of the most stressful times of your high school career. As much as you want to cut class, plan senior pranks, and party, you probably feel that there is no time to just enjoy being a senior.
Don’t worry, that time will come, but right now you probably have a college essay to write, ACTs to study for, and last minute college visits. Oh, and let’s not forget all the homework for those advanced level classes you took to impress colleges (why’d you do that to yourself?).
4. The Scariest Emails You’ll Ever Receive
So, you finished your essay, sent in your standardized test scores, spent way too much time on the Common App, and to put it plain and simple, worked your a** off. But now... you have to face acceptance letters, but because it's 2017, you don’t get the traditional envelope that you see in movies. Instead, you’re going to get one of the most incredible (or worst) emails you’ll ever receive. But once you get that acceptance you've waited so long for, it's a pretty good feeling.
5. College T-Shirt Day
It’s May 1 and you know what that means… It's finally time to wear that overly-priced t-shirt you bought at the bookstore with your mom a few months ago. This is the one day you're able to brag about your school and nobody can say NOTHING about it! So go ahead, rock your snazzy crewneck and baseball caps, and show some school spirit! You're gonna have to get used to it!
So for any of the high school seniors out there, there's light at the end of the tunnel. You've done so much work to get to where you are right now, and you should proud of all the things you have accomplished (including those millions of supplement essays).
But now that you are nearing the college process, it is important to enjoy the rest of your senior year. Getting ready for college is one of the most exciting times in your life, but don't forget to make time for your friends at home because high school doesn't last forever. I promise you're going to miss it.
