I will be the first to admit that the application process turned me into a total teenage, anxiety-ridden, on-edge wreck at times. However, I can’t help but feel jealousy towards the kids who are just now starting to form a list, book SSAT dates, etc. I’ve never been extremely passionate about one certain activity or ec, so throwing myself into something as wholeheartedly as I did the application process really did change me! Writing about myself so much honestly made me reflect upon who I am as a person more than I ever have. The stress and the anxiety really got to me at times (many, many many many many sleepless nights), but at least now I know that about myself!
Am I the only one that misses all of the new experiences, interviews, essays, testing… (I actually enjoy standardized tests and want to make fun of myself for it daily). It was all just so exciting and I felt like I was going on this amazing adventure.
Obviously by now everything is a little bit less ~magical~ as the social anxiety begins to kick in for Fall, in conjunction with me second guessing if I will actually be able to handle the classes/ecs that I want to do. Not to mention that the school-wide required fiction book for the Summer has me on an emotional rollercoaster (poor Maribel…).
Did not mean to go off on a tangent there, but if anybody could just offer up their own individual thoughts/feelings about the process and whether they miss it or not, that would be wonderful!
Can’t comment on this @nico.Campbell. Is this the Henriquez book you reference above, “The Book of Unknown Americans”? Also are rising freshmen still required to read Richard Wright’s Blay Boy? A classic
I can’t exactly relate to how you are feeling but now that I have spent some time at boarding school I feel that way in a sense. If you have a been to boarding school (or if you haven’t) you know the environment can be very stressful at times. While I certainly don’t miss the application process, I miss how it was so much simpler and there was way less stress Are you a current student at a boarding school or an incoming freshman/new student @“Nico.campbell”
Looking forward to things can sometimes be as fun, or more fun, than the thing itself. You had a good cycle too, with lots of acceptances and lots of third party validation, so it makes sense that now, rather than sitting with a pile of travel brochures around you and the endless possibilities they offer, you’re on the plane. Just waiting to lsnd!
You’re smart and self aware. If you don’t keep a journal, consider it. Spend time thinking about what excites you and why. And WHAT doesn’t. What has happened with BS admissions will happen again and again throughout life. (Someone was just saying how let down she was after her wedding was over! ) It’s good that you recognize it. If over time, you anticipate this, you may even plan for it. (The honeymoon! )
Enjoy your summer. Fall will be here before you know it and you’ll be swept up in your new world.
Sorry for not responding for a little bit: I’m less active on the internet during summer (trying to spend lots of time with friends and family before September comes).
@preppedparent that’s the book! I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a summer read :). And no, maybe we will have to read Black Boy during the school year, but I’ve heard no mention of it yet.
@gardenstategal thanks so much for your meaningful words and advice!! You totally hit the nail on the head: I’m just waiting for the plane to land! Like you suggested, I have recently considered starting a type of “stream of consciousness” anthology where I can write about what I’m thinking about and reflecting later: One thing that I’ve learned from writing on CC is that I learn so much about myself just by the things that I write on here!
@nico.Campbell, I hope you will drop in from time to time when school starts. I enjoy your well-written reflections and am excited to read of your “travel adventures” ( to keep the metaphor going) when you get to your destination.
OMG, I have never related to a post this much :D, even though SSATs did make me go through hundreds of emotional rollercoasters, since I wasn’t very good at them either lol.
I can absolutely relate! Although I stressed myself out to the point of having migraines, I did enjoy the process. However, I’m pretty sure freshman year will be enough of a challenge to keep me busy!
I can’t exactly say I miss it fully, but now that a bunch of my underclassmen friends are filling out applications and also starting to take their SATs/ACTs I like the fact that I can offer them advice, because I felt pretty alone in the process as my school’s counselors weren’t that knowledgeable about the whole applying to college process as the person who was in charge of helping students apply to college quit the summer before my senior year. Our class was kind of left to fend for themselves so I like how I can now help out some of friends and calm them down.
Personally, the application process was SUPER stressful. But (less and less as Orientation gets closer) Summer’s reaching that time where the days blend together.
I’d probably think that you were crazy a few months ago, while I was filling out my applications. The anxiety over interviews, the stress and pressure as I had to write out my essays-yeah, not a fun time overall. While everyone else I knew was sipping cocoa and traveling around during winter break, I was stuck at home, doing all of this stuff and driving myself half-crazy with teacher recommendation deadlines.
I might not have thought it was all that fun a while ago, but looking back, doing interviews were actually really nice, for the most part. I got to learn more about who I was, and how I reacted under pressure (also one of my first interviews!). And after I got over the initial ‘what the hell am I supposed to do’ stage of my essay-writing, I found it really fun to write my essays. The questions were really good, I felt (anyone else feel the same way?). They were insightful and gave me just enough space so that I could make it personal to myself. And even though the entire admissions process was an emotional rollercoaster full of tears, anxiety, and plenty of embarrassing moments, I would do it all over again, in a heartbeat.
Now, let’s hope that I still feel this way after March 10th.
Are you a current student at a boarding school or an incoming freshman/new student @“Nico.campbell”
