“Stress” was Lisle High School senior Piper Waggoner’s response when asked what she associated with college applications. Unsurprisingly, a widespread reaction among applying high schoolers.
As the November 1st early action deadline for college applications approached, many people, not just applying students, felt under pressure. College funding, deadlines, the application process, and external expectations all weigh heavily on the minds of Lisle High School’s students/ staff.
When surveyed, students’ responses to “Why are you applying to college?” consisted of concerns surrounding future careers, success in life, and parental satiation. There are a lot of external and societal pressures to go to college to be successful. Many of those expectations become internal stressors for students.
Waggoner stated, “I’m expected by my parents to go [to college], so I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
Even after finishing the application, the financial aspect of college is a strain on many families. Financial aid, scholarships, and the FAFSA are based on need, first come first serve, or competitive.
Waggoner, who has finished applying, says that financial aid/ ability to pay for college is now her most significant concern.
According to the Education Data Initiative, only “20% of U.S. adults report having paid off student loan debt.”
Even for people who aren’t currently applying, college weighs heavily. Inexperience and lack of education on the college application process can be daunting. Both interviewees, Senior Robert Brown and school counselor Kendra Meyer, note anxiety caused by the unknown.
Brown says, “I don’t know how the application process really works, and I don’t know what they expect of me once I apply, or how the back and forth is going to work… I don’t know if I’m gonna have to do that all for myself.”
Underclassmen, advisors, and parents alike experience the trepidation of what Meyer says is “the unknown. Because especially when you’re first [applying]… you think it’s going to be really difficult, and some parts are because there’s a lot of parts…”
Meyer herself still experiences anxiety in some aspects of college application. Even after 20-plus years of experience, Meyer said, “I feel nervous for students who aren’t getting them done… I get a little anxious when I know when the deadline is, and everybody’s turning them on that day, and that makes it a little stressful to make sure that I’m getting everything on that day as well…”
Personally, as a high school senior, the process of college applications has looked like this: starting in early August to fill out personal information, spending the beginning of senior year balancing work, school, and writing all the essays required, and looking for aid/ information in college visits, counselors, and essay workshops.
High school students, parents, and advisors alike must face the tribulations of college applications; whether it be the expectations of others, financial concerns, confusion on the process, or inexperience, the overall college application process can be stressful.
This is not to say you shouldn’t apply or to create more anxiety, but rather to develop a sense of community with Lisle students and staff who are experiencing the same struggle.
