The looming decision of where to spend the next four years of your life exerts enormous pressure on all of those who choose to adventure into the draining act of applying to college. Big or small, public or private, North, South, East, or West, the possibilities of where to end up are endless and leads to many students feeling immense amounts of pressure on where to apply and when. As one of those students who found themselves constantly in the office of their trusted high school counselor or scream-texting their friends over their latest school obsession, looking back on the process as a whole left me with a lot of things I wish I could have done differently in order to make the process run a lot more smoothly and with a lot less stress.
Take advantage of your resources
I can say without a doubt that I would not have been able to get through the college process without my high school guidance counselor (big shout out to Mr. Huydic for dealing with my panic ranting every free period for the entirety of the first semester of my senior year). While we all like to think we don't need help, the college process is not the time to try and be completely independent. Having someone experienced in the process to talk to and ask questions to help ease a lot of stress and can dramatically improve the quality of your applications. Go to your counselor or a trusted teacher to ask about schools, potential career paths or even something as simple as reading a potential essay or supplement. They are here to help you!
Don't apply to schools you don't actually see yourself at
I am completely guilty of applying to safety and target schools that I had never looked at and was not even seriously considering just for the sake of having more schools to potentially get into and have as a backup for my backups. Not only is this a serious drain of unnecessary money, but can only make the whole process worse if the decision you receive isn't one you wanted. Really research the schools you are interested in and could see yourself at before you apply. If you couldn't see yourself there, don't apply!
Keep your experience private
There is nothing worse than the awkward silence following being told someone was rejected from a school you knew they had their hearts set on. While it can be exciting to talk about, these interactions are seriously hard on both parties and the process should be yours and yours alone. Having a close friend or someone you trust to talk to about the process is obviously important, but try to keep your schools of interest (especially if they are Early Decision applications) mostly private.
Focus on you and you alone
The growing pressure to go to the "best school" with the highest ranking and lowest acceptance rate is adding serious stress to the college process. In the long run, saying you go to a big-name school won't matter when you get to the school. What matters is that you are happy and are enjoying yourself and your studies. Where other people get in and with what credentials should not change your path.
