<p>Hopkins</a> Insider: Top 10: Things to Do While Waiting For Your Admissions Decision</p>
<p>1) If possible be active and exercise
Go to the gym, run, bike, skate, whatever floats your boat. Being active and exercising is a great way to alleviate stress (and get ready for summer!) during this process. With the anxiety of awaiting your decision plus school, sports and job commitments, its always great to zone out and do something great for your body.</p>
<p>2) Relax (and eat a slice of great cake or pie)
If you take my advice for Point #1 you are allowed to have a piece here and there! Youd be surprised how one great dessert can turn around a bad day. Ask my colleagues as they know Im a fan of apple pie! But seriously relax, even if its hard to do so! At 17 and 18 we realize that this time is stressful as its the biggest decision most of you have had to make thus far. But dont forget MANY more have gone before you in this process (including us in admissions) and it ALL works out in the end. Take a deep breath, grab a slice of pie and chill
youll thank me for it!</p>
<p>3) Continue to do your homework and stay focused
Just because this is your last semester DOES NOT mean you are allowed to completely check out of your academic, personal and social responsibilities. If we look to admit you, its because you demonstrated excellence in your school and community.</p>
<p>4) Spend time with your family
Your parent(s) are about to go through the difficult task of letting you go off in a few months. Its just as fun and exciting (and scary!) for them as it is for you. Some of you have parents who love you so much they want to see if they can get a spare dorm room key (you know who you are)! Dont get upset or frustrated with them, just try to see it from their point of view. Be happy ... my parents had my bags packed and at the door the day I received my acceptance letter!</p>
<p>5) Resist the Urge to Contact the Admissions Committee
We do love to hear from you but please allow us time to do our part in this process! We do welcome updates, but emailing or calling us daily (or hourly for some!) slows down our process of committee discussions regarding your applications and candidacy. A good rule is to update only CRITICALLY important information such as grade or course changes, significant national honors and awards, and any family/health situations we need to be aware of immediately. Its great that you won the superlative Most likely to be famous or Best Smile or Perfect Attendance, but well let you save that for orientation! </p>
<p>6) Honestly start thinking of best and worst case scenarios
Now this takes away from the fun and optimism of waiting for decisions but you do need to have some sort of plan. The best case scenario is you get in to your top school(s) and you can start looking at plane tickets or visit days to check out campuses. The worst case scenario is that you dont get all the offers of admission you were hoping and you have to alter your plans.</p>
<p>7) Find ways to mentor (or continue to mentor) younger students at your school
You know that some will be going through the same process as you next year so take some time to talk with them about strategies you found helpful in your search process. Sometimes advice means so much more when younger students hear it from a peer than counselors or parents (although of course dont try to replace them!). </p>
<p>8) Think of enriching ways to spend your summer
If you know you want to make some money, start thinking of jobs/internships. If you want to travel, start thinking of places to go. If you have an internship/research opportunity from last summer, see if you can be added one for another year. Having summer options is great (although DO take time to take a break, youve earned it!).</p>
<p>9) Again, READ NUMBER 3 and keep your grades up </p>
<p>10) ENJOY YOUR YEAR!
Will hopefully be some of the best years of your life and you have so much to look forward to. With that being said, its a transition, and many of you will be leaving friends and family to go to colleges near and far. Enjoy these last months with those you care for and know that the best is yet to come! So check out that latest movie, catch the NCAA tourney, take in a MLB preseason game, take your parents to dinner, whatever is enjoyable to you! Just do it with those you love and who love you. Now thats what life is about friends! Good luck to you all!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Dream about getting into schools that don't exist. (Direct quote from a friend last year - "I had a dream that I got into 'Belle and Sebastian.' I was like, 'Belle and Sebastian! Awesome, I got into my back-up school!!'")</p></li>
<li><p>Have long talks with your friends about your future. Then write a song about it. Preferably in the style of '80s hair metal. ("Next year I'm going to college, and there we will gain lots of knowledge...") </p></li>
<li><p>Learn to cook a new dish. (Like those spam recipes you get in the advertisements on your spam folder page in Gmail.)</p></li>
<li><p>Write thank-you letters to your teachers who wrote your recommendations and read your essays, your guidance counselors, even your teachers who didn't do anything specifically towards your applications but you like talking to, or whatever. It doesn't matter whether or not they directly helped you get in; these people helped shape who you are today. (Write one to your mother, while you're at it. She's a good lady.)</p></li>
<li><p>Make ublec. One part cornstarch, one part water. Enjoy! (Even if you're not waiting for decisions, this is something you should do. Even if you're the one writing college recommendation letters. Seriously, Ms. Schutz, I highly recommend it.)</p></li>
<li><p>Go to class and keep those grades up. Avoid unhealthy things like doing drugs, going to jail, or eating trans fats. (It's all fun and games until someone gets coronary heart disease.)</p></li>
<li><p>Check out the schools you applied to or are planning to apply to, if you can. (Seriously, nothing excites us more than hosting prefrosh. And Grey's Anatomy. But mostly prefrosh.)</p></li>
<li><p>Not think about it.</p></li>
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heh.</p></li>
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and my friend who also is obsessed with Glee thinks that Quinn will die because they’re all already graduating from McKinley and I was like BUT SHE’S SUPPOSED TO GO TO YALE! And don’t worry my distraction is Khloe & Lamar and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reruns.</p>