I applied to only a few schools my senior year of high school. I got into every school except for one, which was a school in Colorado that I was applying to just for fun. One of my dream schools accepted me, but unfortunately it was not realistically possible for me to afford it. It is a great school that I really saw myself out, but I had to step back and make a hard decision to not attend. I would have had to pull out at least $40,000 worth of student loans in order to attend this school. First gen or not, everyone understands how much money that is, and how daunting that would be to have to begin paying back directly after graduation. Pulling out student loans through FAFSA allows you a one year grace period of interest free payments. However, out of the gate it is almost impossible to pay $40,000, or anywhere near that amount, in one year. St. Edward’s University gave me not as big of a financial barrier, and I would be able to afford it and never have to worry about pulling out student loans. I also thought about the other perks of attending a small school that I have talked about in my previous posts. St. Edward’s was a smart choice for me that I do not regret at all.
The waiting game itself was filled with excitement met with extreme nervousness of being rejected. I had no idea what the normal amount of time was to hear back, get waitlisted, accepted, or what it would be like to get rejected. I was nervous about any response. Luckily, I only waited a couple weeks to hear back from St. Edward’s so I knew I had at least one option. The other school I was accepted to, that I had my sights totally set on, took a month to get back to me after applications were closed. It was a bittersweet moment getting in, but knowing that it would be a mistake for me to set myself up for debt before I even start my life. St. Edward’s was almost like a backup school since I knew I would get in, but with it being private I thought it was more likely I could not afford it.
My overall advice for weathering through the waiting game is to apply to at least a few schools, and certainly apply to a school you know you can get into above all else. Getting that first early acceptance is such a great feeling knowing you have that one option. Additionally, apply early as possible because this could decrease the amount of time that you have to wait. Keep your mind open and give yourself options because it is so common that plans will not go the way that you thought they would.