Several of my students are very concerned about what they are reading about admissions figures being published by the New York Times and elsewhere (NYTimes.com - http://nyti.ms/dG1u1j). They are definitely scary for Juniors who are facing lower admissions rates and increased competition.
I have written previously about why this is happening (anxiety, rankings, marketing and the ease of applying online) but today I want to talk about what students can do about it.
Nothing.
You have no control over how many students are accepted and how many applications the colleges receive. You have no control over how many students will be accepted off the waiting list. The more you focus on the numbers you can't control the more anxious you will get. Do you want to get really depressed? Remember that the most selective schools can afford to reject Valedictorians and folks with 2400 SATs.
Instead, focus on the stuff you can control, like your grades, your activities, and your essays. Even your test scores are beyond your control to a certain extent. Yes, you can prep, and study and retake the test, but at a certain point, your scores are your scores.
But you are not your scores.
Here is the problem with comparing your test scores with your friends and classmates: No matter what you get, someone will get better than you did, and it will make you feel badly about your scores. So it is up to you to decide when enough is enough. Could you do better if you take it again? Possibly. But you could get almost the same score, too.
Don't fixate on numbers (acceptance ratios or test scores). In the long run, they are not the most important thing.
Take a deep breath. And remember that there is an entire qualitative (non-vanilla) side to you that you will present on your applications. And remember that there are 4,000 colleges in the US, and more in Canada. And remember that the most important thing is finding the right fit... the right college where you can achieve your potential. The name on the diploma matters less than the quality of the education.
Put your energy into your schoolwork, your extracurriculars and all the things that make you... well, you. In the application process, that is what will get you accepted, and in the long run, that is what will make you a happier person.
I have written previously about why this is happening (anxiety, rankings, marketing and the ease of applying online) but today I want to talk about what students can do about it.
Nothing.
You have no control over how many students are accepted and how many applications the colleges receive. You have no control over how many students will be accepted off the waiting list. The more you focus on the numbers you can't control the more anxious you will get. Do you want to get really depressed? Remember that the most selective schools can afford to reject Valedictorians and folks with 2400 SATs.
Instead, focus on the stuff you can control, like your grades, your activities, and your essays. Even your test scores are beyond your control to a certain extent. Yes, you can prep, and study and retake the test, but at a certain point, your scores are your scores.
But you are not your scores.
Here is the problem with comparing your test scores with your friends and classmates: No matter what you get, someone will get better than you did, and it will make you feel badly about your scores. So it is up to you to decide when enough is enough. Could you do better if you take it again? Possibly. But you could get almost the same score, too.
Don't fixate on numbers (acceptance ratios or test scores). In the long run, they are not the most important thing.
Take a deep breath. And remember that there is an entire qualitative (non-vanilla) side to you that you will present on your applications. And remember that there are 4,000 colleges in the US, and more in Canada. And remember that the most important thing is finding the right fit... the right college where you can achieve your potential. The name on the diploma matters less than the quality of the education.
Put your energy into your schoolwork, your extracurriculars and all the things that make you... well, you. In the application process, that is what will get you accepted, and in the long run, that is what will make you a happier person.
