For some, November 1st is a day to start preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas, a time for warm drinks and cozy sweaters but for us seniors it means the early application deadline.

The weeks surrounding this date can be filled with chaos and panic, but I say embrace it, because who doesn’t do their best work under pressure? The college application process is filled with endless essays, financial forms, constant worrying, and deep introspection. Talking about the entire process now seems a little pointless as most seniors have submitted some form of an application by now. However, we can reflect on what we do next and deal with the weight of these decisions.

First and foremost, take a break. You’ve probably drained your batteries grinding out these applications and deserve a nap and a nice snack. Submitting these applications is in and of an accomplishment itself, this was a big milestone and you will be going to college! Do fun things, spend time with friends, and just relax and refuel your gas tank before getting ready to rev your engines on your next round of applications. 

Also, do not stress about these decisions! You’ve already done your part and you can’t do anything more to influence these decisions as soon as you’ve hit submit. We can spin this both ways, maybe the reason it’s taking a while to hear back is because your essays were trash and immediately rejected, or it’s because they’re picking their jaw up off the floor and gushing about your accomplishments.

The best thing about starting applications after the early decision/early action deadlines is you have something to build off of. Take those essays, tweak them, and build off these ideas. For most regular decision deadlines, you even have the added cushion of Thanksgiving and Christmas break. Honestly, I can preach about getting these applications done early, but I did all of my EA applications in two weeks. So, just do it, just get it done, you got it!

It’s really easy to get caught up in these applications, but this is a really big milestone. You applied to college and have made the decision to pursue an education! You’ll get in somewhere and you’ll be great. It’s senior year, go get “lit, crazy movie” with friends and appreciate these moments before you transition into a completely new era of your life.