At the same time every year, high school seniors begin to feel an inevitable stress, the stress of getting into college. Whether the student is aiming his or her sights high to schools like Yale University or Stanford, or even their local community college, there are so many unknowns that it’s no wonder why students feel stressed out.
What many students lose sight of is that this stress that they are feeling is normal. The topic of college admissions has become a social taboo to bring into discussion, so naturally, students start to feel that nobody feels the same way as them. That, however, is not true. With that in mind, it’s not to be said that they aren’t nervous for a good reason.
In an article from US News, researchers provided statistics that show how much more difficult college admissions are now than ever before. Some universities like Columbia have gone from acceptance rates at about 65 percent to an acceptance rate at about 7 percent — that’s quite a jump. Even not as prestigious colleges such as the University of Michigan went from 52 percent to 32 percent, the article said. With all this stress on their minds, the best person you can turn to is your school’s career specialist or adviser — it’s their job to give you advice on your futures.
Redmond High School (RHS) career specialist Andrea Snyder provided some great insight into things a student can do to help mediate the admissions stress. Snyder says that one of her main points of advice is to “be organized. Put all of your deadlines in your calendar and do not stress yourself by waiting until the last minute to complete what is needed. You will be much more confident if your work is not rushed.”
Added organization and planning helps students feel more at ease, like everything they have to do is planned out for themselves. Snyder also said that it is important to “work towards a purposeful list. How many schools should I apply to is a common question and that answer will be different for each individual student. My honest answer would be eight or fewer. The ‘safe’ school, the ‘reach’ school and those that land in the middle for that student. Go with quality and not quantity.”
Her useful advice doesn’t end there, but to obtain the best advice for each individual it is highly recommended students meet with their career specialists to help choose the most suitable path for each student to take for his or her own success.
Ivy League schools are heavily sought after but rarely do students get in. The low-acceptance rate of the Ivy League schools play into their appeal from students and professionals alike. Former Redmond resident Cameron Sandquist is a great example of how to set goals for one’s self, work through them and achieve them.
Sandquist attended RHS and then graduated from Loomis-Chaffee High School in Connecticut in 2009. He then went on to play four years of college football at Yale University, verified by his scout.com profile. While his talent for football did help him with admissions, it wasn’t his athleticism alone that got him where he is today. From Yale, he went on to work at a financial company hedge fund in Connecticut. He is a very solid role model for students to look up to.
With hard work and motivation, students can achieve what is perfect for themselves. Whether it is an Ivy League school, a state school with an average acceptance rate or their local community college, admissions may be stressful, but success is near.
Shayla Collins is a University of Washington, Bothell journalism student.
