Hello! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas break! Welcome back to Sophie’s UR lecture!
For regular decision applicants, now is the most anxious stage during the admissions process: the waiting time! Many people thought the stage of writing applications and taking standardized tests is the most difficult one; however, in my opinion, the waiting stage was one of the most anxious times of my life! Even though the next several months seem unbearable, believe me—there are so many things you can do during this time to help you make a wise decision by May!
Throw back to two years ago when I pressed the “submit” button on the Common Application page. For a moment, I finally relaxed my nerves and thought from now on I wouldn’t worry about anything anymore. But immediately I started to imagine the admission results of my college applications. Will I be admitted or denied? What would I do if I were on the waiting list? What if I got in a school but couldn’t afford it? What would my parents, teachers, and friends think of my choice of college?Millions of questions were bursting in my mind and my head started to hurt. If you are in the same situation right now that I was in two years ago, don’t worry—here are some tips about how to overcome waiting anxiety during this stage:
- Relax! You already submitted your applications and you’ve done your best! You will be happy wherever you go! At first I didn’t believe in this saying when I first heard from my AP Calculus teacher. However, it’s indeed true. Your future success doesn’t depend entirely on where you end up going, it’s more about how hard you work and how many opportunities you’ve seized. So I believe a brilliant young man/woman like you will have a bright future wherever you end up going!
- Add additional information in your MyROC! If you didn’t get a chance to interview, never fear! There’s a new option in MyROC that lets you upload additional information into your account at any time. You could talk about any significant new honors, positions, or accomplishments, changes in your academic interests or career plans, or any new information about your plans at Rochester.
- Focus on your school work and extracurricular activities! After submitting all of my materials, I gave my full attention to sports and the AP tests in May. While still waiting for colleges to make their decisions, I studied for the AP tests very hard, finished every Barron’s AP test prep book I had, and spent extra time on reading the textbooks. Doing well on AP tests will save you so much time in college and leave more room on your schedule to explore other subjects. As for me, I got to skip two semesters of calculus and one semester of physics, so I took public health and French instead. Eventually I found that I absolutely love those subjects, so I will minor in public health and French. Most biomedical engineering majors don’t have time to have a minor, but I might be able to obtain two, and it’s all because I did well on my AP tests.
- Last but not least, enjoy your last few months in high school. Some of you may not agree, but high school is a precious and memorable time in your life. During these four years, you grew from a teenager to a young adult, and soon you have to say goodbye to your childhood friends and family, and start a new life somewhere else. Cherish the remaining time at home and school, embrace your community, and get excited for final results to come out!
Breath deeply, get ready to keep working hard, and enjoy your remaining time in high school! Best of luck to everyone!