Why would there be teen-stress for soon to be graduating high school seniors It is springtime, the season of happiness with colorful flowers popping up and green tree leaves unfurling. Yet spring can be a time of anxiety for many high school seniors, anxiously awaiting word from the colleges to which they have applied. During the months of February and March, many high school seniors are stressing over which colleges will say yes. By now, most high school seniors have completed the labor intensive task of researching their higher education possibilities, have spent countless hours completing written applications, and have narrowed down their final college choices to a handful of possibilities. What do they do next Wait. Try to stay focused on the remaining high school classes they have to complete and try to stay positive. Nerves can be on edge for these high school seniors and teen-stress is at an all-time high. The future is uncertain. Yet at this time there is little left they can do.
The Waiting Game
After the college applications have been filed, the letters of recommendation have been sent and the transcripts included, the seniors are left with little to do except to wait. Waiting can be create the greatest amount of teen-stress during their entire college search process. The wait can be especially angst-filled for students who are aiming for top school and the Ivy League Schools. Times are tough for college bound seniors right now and their competition to get into colleges is stiff. Did you know that there are 37,000 high schools in the United States that means there are also 37,000 high school valedictorians. That number is two and 12 times the number of freshman slots available at the these prestigious Ivy League Schools. So these colleges are just a few examples of the selectivity that the college admissions teams enjoy. Easy for colleges to choose from such a large pool of applicants but very stressful for those students applying.
According to httpwww.theIvyCoach.com, Harvard University received more than 29,000 applications for admission into the 2013 graduating class. More than 2,900 applicants had perfect SAT scores in reading, and more than 3,500 applicants had perfect math SAT scores. The freshman class had only 1,655 slots which means that the applicants faced a 7% acceptance rate. Wow. Yes, it is great to have teens applying to the top schools but there are so many variables that enter into the acceptance equation, the teen-stress level can become extremely high. Without knowing exactly what the acceptance equation includes, teens are trying to include enough extra curricular activities, leadership positions, community service involvement, and good grades. With these types of statistics out there for the teenage-seniors, life is not always easy or fair, and rejection happens.
A Little Advice
1. Be honest about the school choice from the beginning of the college search process. Consider the environment, the financial costs, and the social activities and the educational opportunities when choosing a school. Make certain that teens are realistic in their expectations so that teen-stress can be reduced and the teens know what school are long-shots or are safe-bets.
2. Teens should have more than one first choice so that they remain flexible and can cope with college admissions decisions. There is no one right school choice so if they have more than one possibility, then their teen-stress level will not increase waiting for one school’s answer.
3. Remind teens that rejection should not be taken personally. Remind them of the odds they are facing. By being prepared for rejection possibilities it is easier to move on and focus on the choices that are available.
4. Teens have a difficult time realizing as high school seniors, that what is really important is what kind of adult they become in the long run. The college decision-making process is a temporary difficulty. It will pass. After the teens mature and achieve their long-term goals, this teen-stress will seem like a bad dream.
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