The art of waiting

"Hey, at least someone wants you!”

My cousin, Madison, made a joke when I received my first college acceptance letter from the University of Pittsburgh one month ago. I know she meant to be lighthearted and funny, but her comment has stuck with me for weeks.

Before I received my first congratulatory letter, a few of my friends at Lynbrook High School had already heard back from schools they applied to earlier in the year. I remember getting a text from my friend Katie, who was freaking out because she had been accepted to the University of Alabama — her dream school — while I was at work one afternoon in October. I was so excited for her because all she talked about was going to college there; she will finally have the chance to live that dream in fall 2017. Alabama said, “We want you!”

I also remember thinking to myself that day, “It must be nice.” At that point, I hadn’t even finished all of my applications yet. I still had to compile information and test scores, file transcript waivers and more for four colleges — including my top-choice, George Washington University. I wasn’t procrastinating or being lazy. I completed 10 applications before Oct. 19 — well in advance of the Nov. 23 deadline at Lynbrook High. I had time. Still, I felt like I was behind.

Less than a week after I received Katie’s ecstatic texts, my friend Jill got an email from one of the schools she had applied to while we were at lunch. That afternoon, a text popped up in our group chat, and Jill notified us that she had been accepted to not one, but two schools.

I’ve never been the type of student who stresses out; if I have a test on Thursday, I’ll study on both Tuesday and Wednesday night and then that’s it. I don’t obsess over my grades during the second week of the marking quarter because I know that I have time to make them great. I do what I have to do when I have to do it; I get the job done, I do it well and I don’t stress myself out.

However, since my friends and classmates have started getting accepted to colleges and universities across the country, I’ve make it a point to log onto all of my computer portal accounts for different schools and check my application status twice a day — or more. I emailed my guidance counselor at least five times last weekend and, when someone brings up college, I’m more than eager to talk about it.

Why? What is it about college fever that makes even someone like me — someone who rolls with the punches and absolutely hates the “Are you thinking about college?” conversation — stress and think about what next fall will bring all of the time?

Whether it’s the gravity of the situation or the anticipation that has you on the edge of your seat, in my experience, the best thing to do when waiting to hear from colleges is to just be patient. High Schools like Lynbrook require you to submit all necessary application materials long before the actual deadline. Everything is done and you’re not worrying the night before your applications are due.

If you’re a high school senior and feeling stressed, that anxiety may have to do with the fact that you have no control over the decision of the admissions counselor. At this point, you’ve done everything in your power: you’ve taken the standardized tests, passed your high school classes, volunteered many hours and dedicated your time to making yourself the best candidate possible. Once you hit submit on that application, your work is done; the fate of your future lies in the hands on a stranger that’s going to read hundreds of applications similar to your own.

Another thing to remember is that you’re not alone. You have an entire class full of teenagers that are feeling everything that you’re feeling at your own high school, in addition to the 3.2 million students across the country that are also applying to colleges and universities. It’s a scary process, but it’s something that is so important. And you must remember — you’re not the only one who is scared.

But the most important thing to remember is something that my mom always tells me: “There’s a college for everyone.” Maybe it won’t be the school that you’ve been obsessing over since your sophomore year of high school. Maybe it’s a school that you only applied to because you received an application fee waiver in the mail. Either way, there’s a place for everyone after graduation. Stressing out over all of your acceptance letters — or lack thereof — isn’t going to change what’s in the cards.

As of today, I’ve been accepted into three colleges; I haven’t heard back from GW yet. But each acceptance letter has made me feel a little less stressed out. Unfortunately, I might be waiting for decisions from some colleges until April. The future still seems scary — but it’s even scarier when all you do is stress out.

Paige Goldstein is a 17-year-old senior at Lynbrook High School. She hopes to study English and journalism in college next fall. She is currently interning for the Herald through her school’s senior seminar program.