For high school seniors, the waiting game has begun. Will college acceptance letters arrive?
Editor's note: Every month through the August, our Teen Takes seniors will be writing about the final year of high school and their college plans. This is the first in that series.
Congratulations!
You have successfully submitted your Common App for First Year students to [Insert College or University here]. Celebrate!
As I stare at my computer screen, now taken over by a large green checkmark, I feel happy and relieved, but also, part of me is empty and drained. Now, multiply this feeling by 10, since many apply to around that number of schools.
Applying to college takes a lot of energy, mental stamina, and dedication, so to see that checkmark pop up at the end of this effort, is almost a jump scare.
We wonder if our grades are good enough. We reflect on our extracurriculars, too. I ponder, then ask myself, “is this activity impressive enough?” And, “is it unique enough?” Then, there are the dreaded essays. I contemplate the effectiveness of my written responses and if they will stand out.
Though, looking at the big green checkmark, I know there is nothing about my application I can change.
I feel like I should have been preparing myself for the college process back in fourth grade to ensure massive success in every sport from soccer to badminton, and a binder bulging with all sorts of awards. But, in any case, what’s done is done.
Now, it is time to play the waiting game.
Submitting an Early Action or an Early Decision application by Nov. 1 will usually ensure an admission decision by the end of January. For an anxious high school senior already biting their nails while writing their personal statement, this is a long time. Applying Regular Decision prolongs the wait even further, usually until March or April.
It isn’t just the wait we are ripping our hair out over. It is the pressure, the suspense that builds with every passing day.
The frequent flip-flop game our minds will play.
The “I think I got in, why wouldn’t I get in?” shifts to “the acceptance rate is really low and, therefore, I will not get in.” When this begins to happen, we try to refrain from thinking about it at all. Of course, this never works, and the thoughts trickle in, but it is always worth a try.
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My message to all seniors playing this waiting game is one of hope. You should be so proud of all you have accomplished. You are always enough.
Putting your best foot forward is all you can do, not just now, but in life.
Choose to focus on the possibilities, set high goals, and take the needed steps to achieve those goals. Rather than the name of the college you attend, it is what you do there that will matter.
As pioneer chocolatier Milton Hershey once said, optimism is “the force that makes the world go.”
Most importantly, though, carry, in your heart, hope for the future. When the going gets tough, look up at the sky, focus on the bright side, and realize “the rest is still unwritten.”
Krishna Thaker is a senior at Pennsbury High School. Her passions include writing, playing basketball, creating art, and inspiring others.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: The wait is on for college acceptance letters
