Opening the Common App portal is a feeling that high school seniors have become all too familiar with. The pit in our stomachs that forms when we see deadlines approaching quickly. The anxious unknown of where we will end up next year. It’s more pressure than we get credit for. 

Stressing over the college process while trying to keep up with senior year grades affects students’ overall performance. If you are feeling stressed about college, you are not alone. According to Prep Scholar , 76% of students feel high-stress levels throughout the application process. 

There are four main common stresses that high school students experience throughout their college process: Essay writing, parental pressure, standardized tests, and the future. 

Let’s examine how these topics take a toll on students:

Essay Writing 

The amount of essays that need to be written before the approaching deadline puts a weight on students’ shoulders throughout the first semester. For many colleges, it isn’t just the Common App essay that needs to be written. Supplements are extra essays that some schools require to apply that are known to be tedious. These essays can range from 150-650 words. 

The essays are a crucial part of the college process and take much attention. By observing my peers and my own struggles, staring at the multiple essays you must complete by a specific time has increased students anxiety. College essays are notorious for taking up a lot of students’ time. Managing your time can be tricky with different priorities, such as sports clubs and other distractions. It has become common for students to wait until the last minute to open the essay document, which only worsens the process. While students want to avoid diving into the essays, they also feel uneasiness knowing so much work is ahead of them.

Parental Pressure 

“You can’t hang out with friends unless you finish some applications.” 

This may be a familiar phrase you hear your parents demand around this time of year. 

Parents tend to put a lot of pressure on their kids, not knowing how painful sitting at home and filling out an application is nowadays. Colleges have become so much harder to get int

o that they must acknowledge the stress and time put into applications. 

“Getting into any specific school is less likely than it was a few years ago and is certainly more difficult than 15 years ago because the number of strong applicants to selective schools has mushroomed,” said Alex Damian from ACT/SAT Prep  

Parental pressure can lead to increased anxiety and low self-esteem when your parents are over-involved, making it challenging and frustrating for kids to develop their thoughts and feelings during college. 

Of course, it is okay for parents to be present in the process, as encouraging your kids while in one of the most stressful parts of high school is crucial. Parents need to know that this is their kid’s journey, not theirs, so taking over is frowned upon as support is required. 

Standardized Tests 

Picture sitting in a silent room for 3-6 hours (depending on accommodations) with 40 other students hovering over the same test. The clock is ticking as you contemplate leaving all the answers blank. The scantron with over 100 questions makes your brain go blank. Everything you have studied is washed away, and all you want to do is disappear. The ACT and SAT have become the source of student stress starting as early as freshman year. These tests are very challenging because of how long the tests are and how weirdly formatted the questions can be. It is a test of your ability to answer standardized test questions rather than how intelligent you are. Teachers all around think that the ACT and SAT adversely affect students.

“Some colleges put such a high stake on it where kids feel like it’s the only way they will get into college which can be stressful at a young age,” Alexandra Shaw, an English teacher, told the official newspaper of Mayfield High School, The Paw Print

These tests should be abolished entirely from the college world. Although many schools are test-optional, there is still a hefty amount that isn’t, and the test-optional schools may go back to these horrifying tests next year. 

The tests fail to determine students’ academic success in college and label them with a number. No student should be correlated with a single number while uncovering their overall intelligence. There are better ways to see how a student will strive in college, such as their extracurriculars, involvement with the school, and how their teachers perceive them in letters of recommendation. 

The Future 

The worst feeling is constantly thinking about where you will end up. It becomes challenging to focus on the present when your future haunts you as the minutes pass. Students prioritize finding the perfect college even though there is no such thing. It is a common thing to dwell over and overthink. 

According to Best Colleges, over half of high school students feel pressure to make decisions on the future too soon. 

Seniors realizing they have yet to determine what state they will be in next year is daunting. On the other hand, some students have high expectations for their future. They may picture how perfect a particular college will be for them and how devastated they will be if they don’t get in. This mindset makes kids obsess over the idea that they will only fit into one specific college. It can be hard to understand that there are other places they will be happy at when students have been dreaming of a particular college all their lives. This leads these students to stress about every little detail in their application to align with their future plans.