Story by Ella Apisakkul
Staff Writer
Illustration by Zoie Wong
Staff Illustrator
College applications spark profuse amounts of anxiety for students finishing out their high school careers as well as their parents and loved ones supporting them. As applicants grapple with introspection and comparison to their peers, they are faced with stressors, especially involving application to big-name colleges, that can leave loved ones wondering how they can help ease their stress.
There is never only one reason for college applications to cause anxiety. College reaction videos from past students make college results into a life-or-death affair, either totally heartbreaking or the best moment ever. An emphasis is placed onto extracurriculars and after-school activities as applicants search for ways to make themselves seem busy and impressive. Students might have no idea what to pursue, or be pressured into pursuing something they’re not passionate about.
Most of all, applicants struggle with the concept of identity. Based on their cumulative efforts of self-discovery in high school and earlier life, students must decide on what they want to pursue, which universities will match their interests, and how to best represent themselves in essays and introduction videos. If their interests don’t match those of prestigious, big-name schools, they face shame and judgment from peers, their family, or even themselves.
The allure of big-name schools tend to make some students feel as if they should apply and attach themselves to those schools despite not knowing much about the university or not being connected to its values. A common fear can be that if students aren’t aiming for or attending Harvard, Stanford, or another school in that realm, they will be viewed as lesser academically and lower achieving.
In truth, this is a hurtful misconception. It is true that the programs that these big-name schools offer have the possibility of matching up with a student’s, but if they do not, then it is not a good idea to apply. It is much more important for students to research these prestigious schools and figure out what they are most known for and well developed in before applying blindly based on the name attached to it.
Though they do not face the same amounts of pressure as the students do, their families and loved ones additionally face a level of stress as they watch the applicants go through this process. Parents or mentors want the students to succeed, but don’t want to risk forcing them on a path they are unhappy with, as well as finding ways to improve the student’s application but not wanting to risk stripping their essay or video of its individuality. Loved ones can find themselves stuck with not knowing how to help, especially if they have not participated in the college application process.
Stress from college apps can easily seem all-consuming when seen at face value. However, there are always opportunities for loved ones to try relieving that stress, even if only for one evening. Applicants can be reminded to allow themselves small breaks to make progress on a hobby or be taken on fun outings to recharge their brains. It is also important for applicants to remember that regular schoolwork should be prioritized before ending up in a spiral worrying about college apps. If parents or mentors are planning to give constructive advice about college essays or videos, they can ask applicants guiding questions that lead them to coming up with their own answers instead of taking charge and “fixing” applications for them.
“Good” and “bad” schools are concepts that exist only in applicants’ heads. In reality, there are only schools that match your interests and those that do not. Getting rejected from a school is not always because of your personality or presentation, you could just simply not fit the student roles that the college is looking for at the moment.
What applicants should do their best to focus on through their application is self-expression. Though their identities may not yet be fully formed at the time of applying, making their unique stories and parts of themselves shine sets them apart from standard essays with general themes. If the applicant has found a school to apply to that matches their interests, they will benefit from this much more compared to if they tried to change their true interests into something that fits the mold of a prestigious school just for the sake of doing it.
When colleges, prestigious or not, are able to see the real you in your application, supported by mentors and loved ones throughout the journey, they will be able to value you for who you truly are and make a better judgment on whether or not you will fit their school’s needs. Knowing that you were able to put a piece of your best and truest self into an application matters more than any Ivy League acceptance letter.