Finally, you’ve gotten your college application into all the schools you want to. Congratulations! That was no small feat. So, now what? Here are some suggestions for passing the time until you receive your responses.
1. Thank your recommenders. An email is better than nothing, but a handwritten note is much better than that. Handwritten notes are appreciated because they are so rare. You may need your recommenders again for scholarships.
2. Search for scholarships. Write essays for scholarships. Try to adapt your admissions essays so you don’t have to write brand new ones from scratch. Ask your recommenders to adjust their recommendations to be used for scholarships. Make sure your FAFSA and CSS Profile applications are done.
3. Check your email and your portal regularly. Your desired college might want more information from you. Sometimes there are important announcements.
4. Relax and enjoy your senior year. It was such a grind, getting the essays done and applications in while trying to keep up your grades. Now you can take it easy. A little. (Remember, your first semester grades will likely be sent in by your guidance office.) Attend sporting events and dances. Participate in Winter Carnival events. Enjoy your extracurricular activities. Just spend time with friends.
5. Spend more time with your family. You’ve been busy, but you’ll get even busier once you start attending orientation and shopping for college. Then you’ll be gone, only to be seen on occasions. Your parents will miss you. So will your siblings, believe it or not. If you’re not leaving younger siblings behind, that means you’re leaving an empty nest behind for your parents. Spend this precious time with them.
6. Keep up your grades. Yes, you want to relax and enjoy senior year. But even after first semester grades are in, your college will keep tabs on you. Will a college actually rescind its invitation to attend? It’s unusual, but it’s been known to happen. Get good grades, and stay out of trouble with the law.
7. Have a good Plan B. Your applications may be rejected. Your financial packages may not be good enough. Have a fallback. You may have to attend a safety school. There are many schools that will want you, and they’ll often take late applications. You may want to attend a community college for two years. You may want to take a gap year. But don’t give up. You’ll find success.
Hang in there! April is coming.
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