Tackling the college process

College applications seem to loom in front of you for your entire high school career. They’re always there, waiting to stress you out with the work and time that you have to put into them. But they’re not as scary as one might think, and all it takes to get started is that first click. If you take the applications one step at a time and give yourself enough time to complete them, the stress and anxiety that surrounds the entire process isn’t as bad as you would think. 

I’m currently a rising senior and will be graduating in the spring of 2021, so I’m in the midst of applications. However, I’ve been working towards these college applications for what seems like forever since I’ve been going on tours and worrying about my SAT score for over a year. It’s been a lot to keep track of, especially during the middle of a global pandemic, and college research and applications have taken up a lot of my summer. I’ve had a list of colleges that I was interested in for awhile now, but there’s still so much that I’ve had to do and still need to get done. I’ve also struggled with getting started on my writing because I don’t like talking about myself, so thinking about the things I’m going to share about myself in the different essays has been intimidating. I’m lucky enough though to have a great support system behind me, including my parents, my older sisters, and my college counselor. They’ve helped me to slow down and take everything one step at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed with all of it. Now as I’m going into senior year and applications are starting to open, I feel a lot more at ease than I did at the beginning of the summer. I know what I need to get done and I know I can do it, and those are the two most important things to remember. 

Here are a few things to remember when you start the college process:

1. Start researching before you think you need to: Researching a college is about more than just its majors and what major city it’s by. It’s about the opportunities a university can offer, the surrounding areas that can enhance your college experience, and the unique community that each university possesses. I would recommend starting research during your junior year, just so that by the time your senior year starts, you know which colleges you’re interested in and why you like them. 
   
2. Consider your options with the SAT and ACT: A lot of schools are going test-optional right now due to the pandemic, but even before quarantine, it was an increasing trend. Test-optional means that a SAT or ACT score isn’t required with your application and not submitting a score won’t negatively impact your application. When you’re researching, keep in mind which schools don’t require a standardized test score. You never know – you might realize that you don’t have to submit a score to most of the schools you’re applying to. 
   
3. Take your time with the essays: Writing your personal statement and supplemental essays is more time-consuming than anything else, but you can’t expect to get them written with your first draft. Take your time figuring out what you want to express about yourself with these essays. Don’t focus on being perfect with your writing either; colleges want to see who you are within these writing responses, so don’t be afraid to be yourself in your writing. 
   
4. Don’t “overshop” your writing: While feedback is important and helpful, don’t let too many people read and edit your writing. Everyone is going to have a different opinion about your writing, so be selective with who you allow to edit it. This essay is yours, so also make sure that the edits you make still allow the essay to reflect you, not your editors. 
   

The college process can seem overwhelming, but if you take it one step at a time, it doesn’t have to be as stressful. Give yourself time to work through each part of your application, including research, and remind yourself that you can and will get through it. The future may seem scary but remember that you can do anything you set your mind to- including a few pesky college applications! 

~Madeline

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