You made it through fall of your senior year! You are half way to graduation! Some of you may have already received your acceptance letter from your top choice school. If so, congratulations! Odds are that most of you are still working on your college applications. Here are some suggestions for those who can’t answer the question, “So, where are going to college next year?”
1. Finish your applications. I am sure that you are burned out after a hard week of exams, but finishing up your applications should be your top priority. Try and finish them early during break so you have some time to relax.
2. What is the status of your applications? Take a minute to check on the status of all your applications. Are they complete? Have all your materials been received?
3. Dreams vs. Reality. Now is the time of year where, unfortunately, reality may be setting in. Maybe you were denied from your top choice school or maybe you were deferred. Take some time to reexamine your list. Do you have a balance of safety, obtainable and reach schools? Ask someone to give you some feedback and consider adding a few safety schools if you need to feel more secure with your options.
4. Be prepared to answer questions. There is no doubt that you will be asked a million questions about your college search process. Where are you going to go? What are you going to major in? The questions can be overwhelming. Before you head into a social situation where you know you will be bombarded (a party or dinner at Grandma’s), have some standard answers prepared. Let you parents know if you really don’t want to discuss the details. It is fine to say, “Everything is still up in the air.” Or, “I still have not heard back from all of my schools.”
5. Relax. This can be a stressful time, so make sure to have some fun and relax a bit!
Katherine Price
Educational Consultant
