Source: Washington Post
A recent Washing Post article talks about how the process of applying to college can be a stressful and problematic time in a high school senior’s life. Especially with current rejection rates at all time highs.
Side Effects of Applying to College?
Lack of sleep, headaches, stomach pain, and stress are just a few symptoms that can go along with the joys of college admissions. Most of these may seem harmless, but doctors warn, that stress can lead to depression eating disorders and other mental health problems.
Unfortunately, extreme circumstances of stress can lead to far worse circumstances. A recent clip from NBC’s, The Today Show discusses college suicide rates which are at an all time high.
Rejection, or Redemption?
A particular story of interest within the Washington Post article; one high school senior was devastated by rejections from Stanford and Princeton after ranking third in his class and scoring perfect SAT scores.
“I realize I didn’t found a company or discover a new insect. I feel like it’s coming to a point where you have to do something like that to get into schools like Princeton or Stanford.”
Today, he is a pre-med student at Notre Dame, says he has new outlook on being “rejected” by those Ivy League schools.
“At the time, it felt like it was the biggest deal in the world that I didn’t get into those schools, but I love it here. Looking back on it now, this is definitely the right place for me.”
How Can Students Cope?
The University of Iowa recommends different stress easing techniques such as assessing and adjusting diet, exercising regularly, and getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Seeking advice from friends, family, and or those who have been through the whole process of college admissions can prove beneficial as well.
Just remember, getting into school is the easy part. It’s the 4-7 years of hard work that follows which will be quite challenging at times.