Waiting to Hear about College Decisions

It’s that time of the year again - a period of anxiousness, tenseness, nervousness, and restlessness. When all of these come together, that only means it’s the waiting period to hear back from college admissions. The applications have been sent, and now it’s waiting time. No doubt this is an extremely nerve wracking time for not just students, but parents and application readers. What’s a stressed out student to do during times like these? Here are a few tips to get you through the next few grueling months.

Remind yourself that you’ve done all you can.

This is perhaps the most important piece of advice to remember! Up until now, you’ve prepared so much by keeping up your grades and participating in extracurriculars, to make sure that your academic profile is top notch. You’ve filled out form after form after form. You’ve asked for teacher recommendations. You’ve stayed up into the late hours of the night, brainstorming creative hooks to begin your essays. Finally, you’ve submitted all you have, knowing that it’s a true representation of who you are as a student. And now, it’s time to let a complete stranger decide the next stage of your life. As unsettling as it may seem, that’s the truth. You’ve already done your part. It’s time to let someone else do theirs. So as you go through these next few months, it’s okay to feel nervous about what’s to come - but just know that you’ve done what you can and that’s really all you can ask for at this point.

Stay up to date.

Most, if not all colleges have some way for you to check your application. This is most always done online. While you shouldn’t check every hour, it’s a good idea to at least check in once a week, so see the status. This should provide you some brief bursts of sanity in knowing that your application has gotten to where it needs to be.

Prepare yourself.

Whether you get in to the college of your choice or not, it’s absolutely vital that you have all the resources you need for the next year of your life. In these next few months, make sure to take some time to apply for scholarships and the FAFSA. Even if you’ve already done this, it doesn’t hurt to apply for more! Remember, the more you apply for, the more chances you have of getting free money for college! If worst comes to worse and you don’t get accepted, at least you’ll have plenty of scholarships to get you to wherever you choose to go. And if you to get accepted - congratulations! - and you also have some extra money just in case.

Focus on school.

This is pretty self-evident, but what’s also pretty self-evident is senioritis - and as graduation draws nearer, so does this sickness! Keep up with your assignments, start early on your projects, and study for your tests. It will be hard to do, especially at around this time, but it is worth it. This will not only keep you occupied with something that will help you greatly in the future, but it will also keep your mind off of the anxiousness associated with waiting to hear back from admissions.

Find time for you.

No doubt these next few months will be very stressful. Even if you’re constantly checking your applications status, applying for scholarships or keeping busy with school, there’s still going to be those nagging thoughts in your head. You’re going to worry, regardless of how busy you keep yourself. A good way to get through this is to focus your nervous energy on something you enjoy. Whether that be going for a jog, playing an instrument, writing poetry, playing video games or hanging out with friends, always put aside some time to do something that gives you great satisfaction and happiness. You’ll come out of it with a better mindset and a positive outlook.

Talk it out.

Often the best way to get a grasp of our feelings is to talk it out with others. Whether that be with a sibling, friend or teacher, any form of communicating how you’re feeling is a great way to cope. Most likely, if you’re going through this, your friends and classmates are as well! Don’t hide what you’re feeling from those who care about you. You and your friends can work together to distract yourselves or find productive ways to pass the time. Ultimately, the best way to get through these stressful months is to have a good mindset. You’ve done all you can, and you’ve done your best - and that’s really the best you can ask for at this point. Think ahead and plan out all possible outcomes and prepare for that. That way, when you finally get the long awaited email or letter, you’ll be more confident because you’ll know that you have options in case things don’t go the way you wanted it to.