It’s the end of the winter and the beginning of spring at NYC iSchool. Seniors nervously wait to hear back from the schools that they applied to. Juniors are just beginning the stressful college application process. Although they’re at very different points in the college process, many students from both classes are stressed out, and thinking about how college will affect their future.
At this time of year, high school seniors have already applied to all of their schools, and are starting to receive acceptance emails from colleges. Although they’re now waiting for these emails to come in, that’s not the only thing they have to worry about, while still keeping up with their senior-level coursework. For many students, as mentioned by Mary Frances Ruskell, “Everything that day felt like a waiting game.” While students are actively participating in school activities, including their difficult coursework, they now have the added layer of stress that comes from uncertainty about the years ahead. The open-ended stress can become an overwhelming, toxic influence for them.
On the other hand, juniors are just starting their college process. Juniors are currently expected to be working with college counselors to research schools, and scheduling visits at any colleges they’re interested in. For many students, this can be a stressful period of time, with one iSchool junior, Victor Ramos Orozco stating, “I’m feeling quite anxious about the process, as at times I feel as though I am behind.” Even though they’re not yet seniors, juniors also have to deal with juggling coursework from difficult classes for upperclassmen like APs, while at the same time spending time preparing for college. Many of them, feeling overwhelmed, start to regret not starting earlier.
Juniors and seniors at this time of year are experiencing the college process very differently, because they are doing very different things in the process. However, for both, it’s very complicated, as mentioned in Ruskell’s article, “The modern college application process… is incredibly complicated and drawn-out.”
For iSchool students, the process is aided by the school’s college counselors, Ms. Beck and Ms. Grande. When asked about the college process, Ms. Beck stated, “The college process is not a hard process, but it does involve so many deadlines.” This matters because these deadlines can be a major contributor to the stress that high school upperclassmen face.
Right now, juniors are working with the college counselors to find out more about life in college and their preferences, and working with English teachers to draft their college essays. “For Juniors, it’s all about the research and preparation,” Ms. Beck said. For example, they’re working on their college lists, visiting schools, and preparing for and taking standardized exams like the SAT and ACT.
Among these aspects of preparation for college, many difficult decisions need to be made by juniors, which can often lead to them feeling confused and uncertain. iSchool junior, Victor stated “I find myself quite confused,” and “the idea of picking a major… is extremely intimidating.” This goes to show that the uncertainty of making many of these decisions can put a lot of pressure on juniors.
Although this is from just one student, it applies to many juniors, and not only iSchool students, as students all over the country suffer from this. According to an article by Scott White, “This scarcity mindset has created a culture of hyper-competitiveness.” The pressure that these students feel from being expected to do everything can lead to stress, and negatively impact their mental health.
On the other hand, Seniors are at the backend of the college process. “Seniors are… finalizing their applications,” said Ms. Beck. However, since most application deadlines have already passed, the majority of seniors are currently waiting to hear from the schools they applied to, and deciding which school to commit to.
Although they already made the decisions on what schools to apply to, an even harder decision is now to be faced, which is picking the school they should commit to. Many students face uncertainty, like how Ruskell mentions, “Students on waitlists might still be in limbo.” She also mentioned, “We fed off each other’s stress.” This is because since so many seniors are all facing this difficult decision at the same time, there can be a lot of tension within friend groups and within high schools.
When asked about how the waiting period feels, iSchool senior Daniel Vazquez mentioned that the stress of it all “feels like death.” When asked how he would advise juniors and even younger students, he suggested that it’s best to start the process early, especially with the standardized exams. Because of early action and early decision, it’s important to have your exams done as soon as possible.
Now, it’s been made abundantly clear that the process can be stressful, but the complexity of the whole process is a major contributor to that stress that the students feel. Ruskell’s article mentions that the “array of admissions categories, deadlines, decision dates and types of offers,” is proof of the aforementioned complexity. In addition to these steps of the process, writing supplemental essays, as well as normal essays and workload from high school, can furthermore contribute to the mental clutter that juniors and seniors face. Because of these things, the college process can feel very overwhelming to most students.
Another issue in the process is the lack of transparency. White’s article mentions that “holistic admissions can be a black box,” in the sense that it’s very difficult for students and families to understand what colleges really want in order for them to accept a student. Leaving students guessing in the process can lead to poor applications that lack necessary requisites for admissions.
Another prime struggle in the process is the idea of prestige. A lot of students want to get into a big name school for various reasons. Some want the high-level education that goes along with it, while others just want to say that they got into a highly selective school. White also mentions this in his article, stating that “The allure of a brand-name school” is a major factor. Because of this competitive nature that goes along with going to a prestigious school, not being accepted can truly damage students’ self-worth.
In various ways, the college admissions process is highly problematic. Ms. Beck suggests that some personal solutions include, “be open-minded,” as well as to “stay organized.” Doing these things can be helpful in reducing student stress in the process.
While those pieces of advice can help on a smaller scale, they do not solve the actual issues within the whole process. One solution for some of the stress that derives from it is to, “focus on fit over selectivity,” as White mentions. When students focus on the selectivity and how that plays into their chances of being accepted to a school, it can cloud their judgement and make them worry about something that’s not so serious. Instead, it’s more important to focus on getting into a school where they’ll actually fit well, not just where people will be impressed with them getting into.
In conclusion, juniors and seniors are each at very different points in their college processes. Because “applying to college is a long and grueling process,” their shared experience is stress. Both groups of students face it in different ways, but it’s just as problematic in both cases.
Overall, the college application process and system is flawed. While it is not likely that it will change much, what can be done is how individuals approach it. As Ruskell put it, “Admissions results do not determine your future.” Students should not let the difficulties of the process stress them out and affect them negatively, and they should remember that their futures will not be ruined just because they got rejected from a school.
