WOODBURY一 To most senior year is just the home stretch of High School but in reality is full of waiting and decisions. As each college decision letter gets sent out, one more senior gains another hard choice they have to add to their big senior year decision…
College.
Matthew Clifford, a senior at Nonnewaug, is counting the days as well as gray hair (metaphorically speaking) waiting for his decision letters.
“It’s definitely been tough, especially recently. Like, you’re waiting on everything to come back and things like that. It’s just a little nerve-racking,” said Clifford. “So I’ve definitely been checking the email a lot and in my portals and stuff. Getting a couple gray hairs, just waiting on hearing things. You put so much work into these things and then you’re just nervous to see if you’re gonna do well with it, because it really feels like it’s gonna dictate the rest of your life. So it’s just a little nerve-racking.”
Izzy Deforge, another senior dealing with the stress of college, is aware of how these decisions can affect her future.
“it’s a very stressful time,” said Deforge. “It’s a decision that can affect my future pretty heavily, and not having the answers can really cause some anxiety and stress, and just not knowing where you’re gonna go for the next four years of your life.”
Kathy Green, Nonnewaug’s college and career counselor, feels as though students haven’t even closely seen the worst of it.
“I think we’re actually in a little window of time where the stress isn’t surfacing yet,” said Green. “So I’d say they’re frustrated, but I don’t know if they’re stressed yet. I think more stress comes when students are getting decisions and financial aid awards, and they’re starting to realize they have to make a decision based on where they were accepted and what they are willing to spend or what they’re able to spend. So,maybe I’m just not seeing the stress yet. But it’s likely coming.”
For most seniors any part about the college process can be stressful, It’s new and full of decisions. Byrcen Gagne, a senior for NHS, is most scared about what colleges will think of him by factors of the application, like his essay.
I’m really scared that I’m not gonna be able to get accepted. It’s definitely keeping me on the edge of my seat because I really want to get into some of the schools I applied for,” said Gagne. “The college process is pretty stressful overall, especially my essay, because it’s, like, one of the most important parts of applying to college, and it could decide whether you get in or not but there are a lot more factors to all of the college related stress.”
As the school year goes on more and more kids get back their decisions, but with those decisions now comes the time where every senior has to make their choice on where they will spend the next 4 years.
Deforege has most of it planned out but there are still so many uncertainties that come along with the college process.
“I think I have pretty much planned out deciding between two colleges, but before those decisions, it was really stressful, because I didn’t know where I was gonna go, or even what I could consider, and before I had it planned out, it can be really overwhelming,” said Deforge. “Trying to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life and where it’s gonna happen. and what will set you up for success.”
The college process shouldn’t just be a stressful time but, as Green says, an exciting time for students. Only if you have the right mindset, though.
“It’s an exciting time. But I think having a mindset that you can go and do great things at a variety of different schools is important,” said Green. “If you have your heart set on one school and don’t get accepted, that can be a real shift. It can require a shift of mindset, which can be challenging and stressful. If you’re doing the research, exploring the acceptance rates, and GPAs, and SAT scores, you are really comparing yourself to what this accepted student profile is, then I don’t think there should be that much stress involved.”
