How to Manage College Decision Waiting Game Anxiety

As you settle into the winter months of senior year, without question, you are feeling a lot of stress. You may be losing sleep, finding it difficult to focus in school, or are just not feeling yourself as you confront a nagging feeling of anxiety that comes while waiting to hear back from colleges. You're not alone.

The good news is there are ways to minimize the stress you're feeling now.

Distract yourself with healthy fun.

With the most hectic part of senior year in the past, you have more free time to enjoy your final year of high school. Resist spending mental energy walking your mind through what you would have done better on your applications. Your submissions are final. Accept this fact, congratulate yourself for a good job, well done, and then move forward. Spend time instead with your friends, watching movies, exercising, reading, or catching up on sleep. Healthy, fun distractions are the perfect remedy for stress.

Stay positive and put your college list in perspective.

What makes this period challenging is the persistent thought that where you end up next year is life changing. Remember that there are positive attributes in all the schools to which you applied. To keep things in perspective, make a chart comparing your schools. For each document why it is a good school? What you like about it? What you expect to gain from attending? What the campus is like? Every school you chose, you chose because you envisioned it being a place where you could be happy. Do this for all schools, from top to safety as insurance in case you don't get the acceptances you wanted.

 

Keep calm and wait for the results. 

Colleges are overwhelmed by thousands of applicants. Calls are okay to confirm application materials have been received, or for clarification on a piece of correspondence received. Status update calls only make admissions officers irritated as it takes up precious time. 

To help students feel more in the loop on their application status, many colleges give students access to a web portal that posts real-time admit decision updates. This doesn't, however, mean you should obsessively check the site or your email. You will only drive yourself mad.

Hope for the best, mentally prepare for the worst. 

As difficult as this is to accept, in the college admissions game, essential is preparing for the worst case scenario. This way if you don't hear back the decision you hoped for, you will be able to handle it. Anything is possible. 

If you're not admitted to your first or second choice schools, return back to your list. Get excited about the schools to which you were accepted. Discuss with your parents a plan to visit. And most important, remind yourself that life is not over. Your college experience is due large in part to what you make it, so make it a good one.