Ways to make applying to college less stressful
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COURIER LIFE, J DT AN. 25–31, 2019 37
EDUCATION
Applying to colleges is exciting for
many high school students. But
that excitement is sometimes tempered
by anxiety. The college application
process can affect students’ lives
for years to come, so it’s understandable
why some teenagers might feel
stressed as they apply to college.
The National Center for Educational
Statistics says 69 percent of high school
graduates in the United States enroll in
college the fall after graduating from
high school. Many students begin applying
to college before entering their
senior year of high school. Students
can employ various strategies to make
applying to college less stressful.
Create an inventory of
experiences and awards
When completing their college applications,
students submit a variety of
materials. In addition to students’ track
records in the classroom, schools will
be interested in kids’ extracurricular
activities, hobbies, volunteer work, and
even things they do during their free
time.
Parents and students can work together
to develop a master list that includes
information about what students
have accomplished during high
school. These may include involvement
in certain clubs, participation in sports
teams, advanced ranking in scouting
programs, or even a list of books read.
Having this document handy will make
it that much simpler to fi ll out college
applications.
Investigate the Common
Application
The Common Application began as
a niche program for select private liberal
arts colleges, but now has grown
into an organization that services more
than 750 schools. The organization enables
students to create an account and
complete one basic form that will be accepted
by all institutions who are members.
It helps students streamline the
college application process and reduce
redundancy. An alert system also helps
applicants manage application deadlines.
Avoid applying everywhere
Some students think that applying
to dozens of schools will improve their
chances of being admitted. However,
applicants may be wasting their time
applying to schools they have no intention
of attending, and that only adds to
the stress of meeting deadlines. Narrow
down the possibilities to a handful
of favorite schools and go from there.
Use the resources at your
disposal
Students who have access to guidance
counselors, mentors, college centers,
or even teachers who are willing
to help with the application process
should use these resources wisely. In
addition, iPhone and Android apps can
help streamline the college application
process.
Consider scholarships
concurrently
Some schools automatically consider
applicants for scholarships,
grants, and work-study programs. But
that’s not so with every school, so students
may have to apply on their own or
rely on third parties for scholarships.
Fastweb is a leading online resource to
fi nd scholarships to pay for school.
Advance preparation can make the
college application process a lot less
stressful for students and their parents.
The college-application process can affect students’ lives for years to come, so it’s understandable
why some teenagers might feel stressed as they apply to college.
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