The Waiting Game
KhmerPost USA – Feb 26, 2016 – By Kayla Chan.
At this point in the school year, seniors should be done applying to colleges. Some seniors may have already heard back from schools if they applied early action. Though the stress of sending applications is over, there is now a new form of stress lingering amongst the students, and it’s called the waiting game. Seniors rush home after school, hoping to see a large envelope sticking out from their mailboxes, generally a sure sign of acceptance.
Seniors, hearing back from colleges will bring about a lot of different emotions from disappoint to excitement to jealousy. Please don’t get overly disappointed if you didn’t get accepted to your top choice or if affording to go to your first choice isn’t feasible. Sometimes things work out for the best. I’m a student at UMass Lowell, but it was the last place I wanted to go for school. It wasn’t until I attended Accepted Students’ Day, where I realized that I could see myself going here. And I’m glad I ended up at this school because I’ve grown a lot, both personally and academically, and I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities. In the moment, we never know why life takes us on certain paths, but just believe that it’ll take you to where you need to be. And though this advice may not be applicable to you now, you can always transfer schools.
Also at times, you’re going to be jealous of your friends and peers who got into a certain school or major, or received more financial aid than you did. But being jealous doesn’t change your situation, and being a supportive peer says more about your character than the school you attend.
There are few things you must remember. One, make sure you look at your finances and the amount of aid the schools are giving you and use that as a way to compare your options. If you are unclear about certain terms in scholarships or in the financial aid, call the college to ask. You may have to take out student loans, whether if it’s federal or private, so do some research on that too. For instance, look at interest rates, what you can use your loans for, and when you would need to start paying back those loans. Also, don’t forget to send and update your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Second, don’t senior slump too much. Almost all schools have a caveat that admission is contingent upon graduating and/or retaining a certain GPA. Seniors, you’ve worked hard to get into schools, so don’t give colleges a reason to rescind your acceptance. And third, don’t forget to thank your teachers who wrote a recommendation letter for you or anyone who has helped you with the college process. They played a part in your acceptance too and they’ll certainly appreciate it. Good luck! Waiting is just the beginning!
