For years I have seen the black cloud of vultures in the distance. For years I have assumed them to be far away and benign. However, the cloud now descends on me. Suddenly, the tasks swarm me like a pack of vultures. The shadows flash over me and strike fear deep into my heart. College essays. Summer internships. Community service. Leadership. Passion.
As a junior, the insurmountable burden of the college applications process has begun to weigh on my conscience. The names of universities encircle me, constantly tightening around my windpipe, and every person I talk to wants to weigh in on the process. Every decision I make centers around improving my college application. The perceived scrutiny by admissions officers looms as I work endlessly to get through my work. There is always another college to research, another community service event to join, another extracurricular to join. But as my mom tells me seemingly every day, “you can’t give any more than your best.”
While this advice may seem cliche and obvious, we often get too caught up in the college process to acknowledge the obvious. Staying up until 3 a.m. is not going to help college prospects, nor is incessant stressing about what the outcome will be when the outcome is not in our hands. As daunting as it may seem, the ultimate decision is in the hands of the admissions officers.
A student can meet every qualification, GPA, SAT score and extracurricular, but still get denied. It happens. Realistically, there are far too many qualified people for a college to accept.
Once a student reaches a certain threshold of preparedness, whether they get accepted or denied is a matter of chance. The restless nights and anxiety about nothing will not help.
In a way, this randomness can be liberating. Worrying less about getting into the college of your dreams allows for more time spent exploring interests and having fun, as you no longer need to validate activities with an acceptance letter. Relieving that burden allows you to live a happier life, and you can actually help your future self by discovering what you love to do and want to pursue in life.
I know from experience. I have spent countless nights just staring at the ceiling, dreaming out every nightmare scenario that could possibly happen. I watch the clock slowly count up as my anxiety pushes back my exhaustion. But every time I wake up the next the morning, I realize that the stress was all for naught, as it did absolutely nothing for my college applications, career or anything. All it did was make me tired, hurting my schoolwork the next day. We can only do so much to mold the best possible image of ourselves for college admissions.
So just close your eyes and relax.
