Having reflecting on this past academic year—on its late nights, existential crises, and applications—one factor found itself atop the list of stress; the insistent, unyielding nagging of where I was applying, what my top choice school was, and what I wanted to study, among others. Even now, as a freshman at university, I have not fully escaped this interrogation, and still do not have the answers to some of these questions. My best advice for those suffering through this madness—let others know of how irritated it makes you feel. What may seem an innocent question to one could be a life altering decision to another, or an indecision that has not yet been resolved.
But it is almost over, this is the final stretch! You have come too far to let yourself fall away. Everything you have done to this point—keeping grades on point, participating in the community, and juggle sports and activities extracurriculars—is all done. All of your standardized testing is over. There is no sense in worrying about these factors of your application; instead, focus on what the aspect you can control- the personal statement. This gives schools the truest representation of you as an individual, not some black and white number on a sheet of paper. Be sure to write insightfully, honestly, and excitedly; these acceptance committees will be reading thousands on thousands of submissions, and you need to be that one highlighted against the rest.
Towards the end of my college process, I wondered if I had been missing the entire jist of senior year. This was supposed to be “the good old times”, filled will happiness and memories, meanwhile all I would remember were obscene amounts of time spent behind a computer screen, editing this and reviewing that. Have no fear, the end is near. You must muscle through these last weeks, and the reward will be so much sweeter and more meaningful than if you had given up.
One of the main issues that I faced while applying to university was the fact that as a first generation student, by parents had not been exposed to the application process. My mother and father did not quite understand the arduous task that I was undergoing and thus could not quite console me. For a while I felt lost by myself; however, I soon realized that I was not the only one to have suffered through this strife. My older schoolmates and friends, who had graduated in years prior, all had experienced exactly what I was going through, and were so eager to share with me the tips and tricks that helped them survive the process.
The light at the end of the tunnel is fast approaching, and will bring you to the heaven that is second semester senior year. The time to work is now, and the time to enjoy is just around the corner. Finish strong, with no regrets or reservations on what you should have, could have, or would have done differently. Worry about the results of your hard work later, just allow yourself to rest in ease that you have just leaped into the rest of your life in the best possible way.