Updated: Friday, November 15, 2024
For many high school seniors, fall semester can feel particularly stressful. Between maintaining top grades, putting the finishing touches on personal statements, and applying to colleges, students have a lot of important items on their agendas.
While it may be impossible to totally eliminate college application anxiety, you can manage it in ways that will help you finish out the semester on a high note. Keep reading to learn more about how to keep stress at bay during the college application season.
There is nothing more stressful than having to work down to the wire. It’s important to stay organized during the college application process so you can keep tabs on all the deadlines coming your way. Set aside time to make an organized list with all your upcoming projects, tests and exams, and due dates for college applications. Organize these to-dos chronologically and work through items on your agenda strategically. Having a list to refer to will help keep you accountable and ensure that nothing slips through the cracks.
If you prefer a more technological approach, you can find many useful time management apps for your smartphone. We particularly like MyStudyLife and MyHomework for organizing academic to-dos and deadlines.
While high school seniors need to take the lead throughout the college application process, it is important to remember that no one is in this alone. Reach out to family members to share your concerns and discuss strategies and solutions to make the process feel more manageable.
If you feel totally overwhelmed, you may wish to seek the advice of a teacher, school counselor, or independent counselor who can offer nuanced tips that directly relate to your specific goals and concerns.
Although you have a lot on your to-do list, it’s important not to lose sight of the interests and passions that are driving your academic journey to begin with. Set aside time to participate in the hobbies and extracurricular activities that bring you the most joy, regardless of how busy your academic schedule becomes. Artistic endeavors can serve as a creative outlet and effective stress management tool, while sports and other physically demanding pursuits can help keep nerves at bay.
Instead of trying to ignore your negative feelings, carve out time to acknowledge them and reflect on potential solutions. Journaling can be an excellent outlet to express your thoughts and fears, reconnect with emotions you may be trying to avoid, and create actionable ways to cope with these sentiments.
Write down a list of feelings and worries you have surrounding the application process, reflect on these points, and then consider jotting down some solutions or steps to work through each scenario. Simply putting a pen to paper can help you express your fears and begin to work through them independently.
The same fears and stressors that are top of mind for you are likely pressing issues for your friends as well. Reach out to classmates and peers who are going through the college application process themselves so you can support one another. Instead of comparing their academic journey to your own, focus on the shared experiences you can support each other through and serve as a support system to one another.
While college application season is an inherently stressful time for all students, applicants can manage anxiety around the process by starting early and staying on top of their to-do lists. Working with an experienced college admissions counselor also helps alleviate a lot of the stress and confusion that comes with the college admissions journey.
IvyWise college admissions counselors have sat in committee at some of the most highly selective schools in the U.S. They have reviewed thousands of student applications from the admissions side, so they know what it takes to stand out. If you need some expert guidance to help you through this admissions season, our short-term senior programs have you covered.
While grades may carry the most weight in college admissions decisions, there are many other important components of the undergraduate application process, including your letters of recommendation. These letters allow admissions officers to learn more about who a student is, the role they play in the classroom, and how they might shape their college campus.
Test Your College Knowledge with These Fun College Trivia Questions
If you’re a high school junior applying to college next year, chances are you’ve been on a college visit or two and have spent a considerable amount of time researching different colleges and universities. Many students who have only a limited view of what colleges are like are sometimes shocked to find out how vastly different most institutions are from one another in terms of size, campus life, academics, athletics, and more. During your research and visits it’s likely you’ve learned a lot and picked up some interesting college facts along the way! Now it’s time to put your knowledge to the test with these fun questions.
The Common Application officially opened for the 2023-24 college application season on August 1, allowing students across the globe to begin their college admissions journey. But what is the Common Application, exactly? Who can use it and when? You can build your college prep strategy more easily by understanding the Common App. Here’s what you need to know.
These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things…
At IvyWise, we love helping students discover the schools that will be a great academic and social fit for them, where they will be happy and successful. That said, when given the chance, we never hesitate to give a shout out to our own alma maters and share what made that school a great match for us. Previously, members of our team told tales of Turkey Trotting at Lehigh, classes in the Commons at Emerson, and following in the footsteps of strong women at Barnard. This week, the newest member of the IvyWise team, our Executive Assistant Ashley, tells us about her experiences at American University in Washington, DC:
