Trusting the Process: A Junior’s Perspective on College Admissions, by Brooke Jadon
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You’ve heard it from parents, teachers, and even social media posts, “junior year is the most important year for college admissions.” As a freshman and sophomore, the thought looms quietly in the back of your mind. As a junior, it hits you like a Mack truck. It is the last opportunity to build your resume and prove your academic potential - all for your “dream” school.
So you stack the AP’s. You ramp up the extracurriculars and volunteer hours. And don’t forget the countless hours studying for the SAT. Every test score feels heavier and every decision you make feels strategic and calculated toward one goal. One bad grade or missed opportunity could close a door.
Anticipating what’s to come is equally daunting. Instead of a frivolous summer of beach volleyball and leisurely mornings with friends at Starbucks, we will be focused on meetings with college counselors and the dreaded “personal statement. ” We overhear our parents talking with friends saying, “it wasn’t like this when I applied to college.” We don’t know anything different, just that it doesn’t feel good.
I witnessed the college application process first-hand when my older brother applied to college last year. The process consumed him and our family for months. I experienced the emotional rollercoaster as the decisions rolled out. Our family anxiously gathered as he opened the portal of his “dream” school to reveal his destiny - only to be met with rejection. My heart sank. He was devastated.
But that is not the end of his story. He is now at an incredible school, thriving and happier than ever. He admits that in hindsight his supposed dream school may not have been a great fit for him after all. It sounds cliche, but I am now a believer that you end up exactly where you are meant to be.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should take our foot off the gas. We need to keep pushing ourselves to be our best, just not so much that we compromise our mental health and well-being. Having lived through my brother’s experience, I’ve learned a few strategies I believe will reduce anxiety and make the process more manageable. Most importantly, don’t procrastinate. If you’re taking a standardized test, start studying early to give yourself enough runway to take the test a few times if necessary. Aim to complete the personal statement over the summer when you have more free time. Try not to compare yourself to anyone else, and keep an open mind about college choices. And most importantly, remember that an acceptance letter does not define our identity or worth. We have to trust we will land where we’re meant to, and that what we do with our college experience is far more important than any college acceptance.