This is the time of year where applications are in, and potential new students just have to sit and wait for their possible acceptance letter to come in the mail. With such a weird lull of time ahead, your mind starts thinking all sorts of crazy things out of anticipation. Here are a few of the thoughts we’ve all had while waiting for our letters.
“Is college really for me?”
Sometimes you start wondering if you have what it takes to go to college. The stories they tell us in high school always made us think college would be so much work. I remember being told when I went to college, I could only choose two of three things to make a priority; sleep, work or partying.
DO NOT believe that. There’s a happy medium between the three that we’ve all found somehow. And yes, college is hard, but as long as you give an honest effort you have professors and tutors who are there to help you as much as you need.
“I’m going to be in debt forever now…”
Well, you will have debt if you don’t have scholarships, but it’s not as astronomical as you think. In fact, sometimes your loans can be forgiven depending on your career track. In Virginia, if you work at an at-risk school after you graduate and get a certain kind of loan, they’ll be forgiven after a few years. Not to mention, you don’t have to worry about paying for your loans until six months after you graduate, so you have time to figure things out and have a plan in motion. We’ve all felt the stress of student loans, and there are plenty of ways to deal with it, so don’t worry too much about that now.
“Maybe I should just take a year off … travel or something.”
Stop right now.
Here’s the thing about taking a year off. For some people, it’s a very positive experience that helps them discover who they are and grow as a person. However, if you plan on going to college afterwards, understand that it’s going to be a lot harder if you’ve been off for a year. You’ve been in school since you were four/five, and odds are that you’d get rusty every summer break right? Can you imagine taking a whole YEAR for a break? Students who take a year off typically have a much harder time with the university lifestyle after they’ve fallen out of routine. If your main goal is to travel, seriously consider study abroad. It may be a nice compromise for your wanderlust and educational needs.
“Why is it taking so long?”
Think about how many students apply to college, and think about how many are applying for the same ones as you are. The Office of Admission has to look through each and every application, with all of its pieces and parts, and determine if a student is both eligible and worth being accepted into that university. Talk about pressure.
If anything, be glad it’s taking so long! If not, was it really that competitive to begin with? While I hated waiting for my acceptance letter to come in, it was kind of nice knowing that out of all the other lengthy applications of amazing students all across the country, I was accepted. Plus, this means you get to relax this winter break since your letter probably won’t be coming in until after you’re back at school.
“What if I don’t get accepted anywhere?”
That’s impossible, you’ve already been accepted somewhere.
Even if by some chance of fate you do not get accepted into the colleges you applied to, or if you only applied to your dream school and got rejected, you’ve still got a backup plan. Community colleges always accept new students, and signing up is pretty easy! Not to mention, it’s a cheaper route and can sometimes score you acceptance into that dream school from before. Plus, most students get into at least one school of their choosing, and odds are you’re in that group. Relax. There are plenty of options if you don’t.
I’m sure any college student would tell a high school senior to relax and enjoy this precious time to be teenagers. Senior year is a great year, a fun year, a fulfilling year. That letter will be coming soon, and we all understand how stressful it can be to wait for it, but just hold out a little longer! It’ll be here before you know it.
