The college admissions process is, without a doubt, one of the most significant times of a student’s high school experience. No matter when a student begins, we understand that there can be a level of stress involved. A recent article from parents.com addressed how “1 in 8 students are abandoning college dreams due to application stress, study says.” The article highlights how critical the academic and financial burdens are in making the process feel overwhelming, resulting in 13% of students forgoing applying.
This informative article focuses on the following:
- What These Numbers Mean Big-Picture
- Numbers might show that 1 in 8 students give up on the college process, but there is so much you can do to alleviate the pain points of applying. We promise, applying will be worth it in the end!
- Signs Your Child May Be Overwhelmed by the College Application Process
- This can include, but not limited to, avoidance or procrastination of tasks like college visits and researching schools, frustration when talking about college, and much more. Exploring before applying is a critical step, but we need to ensure there is some fun attached!
- Alleviating Financial Stress
- There are various helpful tools including Net Price Calculators, working with our team of experts, and speaking to financial aid offices at the colleges, that can help reduce the stress around cost.
- Understanding merit aid vs. need-based aid and scholarships.
- Other Ways to De-escalate the Process
- Balancing school, activities and fun.
- Limiting stressful conversations at home.
- Starting the Application Process Early
- We cannot stress the benefits of starting early enough! Emphasis on process. There are stages to getting to the finish line. When students try to tackle it all at once, especially during senior year, this adds stress.
At Campus Bound, our biggest goal is to help students not only feel empowered but EXCITED about their process. Helping navigate timelines, to-do lists, and how to best showcase themselves in an application, these are all critical steps in alleviating stress. Little tips from starting early, planning visits, and understanding what colleges look for, have big impact when it comes to applying with confidence.
