In support of our high school seniors, our Learning to Work College-Career Specialists and Advocate Counselors are sharing advice to help students navigate the college application season. Throughout the month, we've discussed the Ins & Outs of Applying and Scholarships & Financial Aid.
Today, we're talking about how to be sure students are taking care of themselves as they balance applications, school, and their lives at home.
Self Care is Key
Don't be afraid to take a break! Make time for activities you enjoy, and that will help take your mind off the stress.
Pause every now and then to discuss different topics with your classmates and family - something unrelated to your college applications. It's crucial to acknowledge the other important milestones of your senior year.
Remember to celebrate after you've finished your college applications! It may be a stressful time, but be sure to congratulate yourself for all of your incredibly hard work.
Break It Down
To ease any anxiety about deadlines, get started early! Work ahead on the tasks that require additional input - like letters of recommendation or gathering personal information and forms.
Create a timeline and stick to it. Setting internal deadlines for yourself - when you should complete your college essay, when you should submit your completed application, when you should fill out your FAFSA and TAP forms - will help make the process more digestible.
Work on each step bit by bit, every week. Taking smaller steps over time will help you maintain balance with the other school work and responsibilities you have on your plate.
Ask for Help
Know who is on your support team throughout the process and reach out -it can be your teachers, parent(s) or guardian(s), and even your friends and classmates.
If you have questions about your applications for a specific university, do not be afraid to talk to their admissions team directly for clarification.
Seek out your college counselors - they are ready and able to help you along every step of your college journey.
We hope that you've taken away some useful tips and tools as we've explored the various facets of college application season. We're sending our encouragement and support to all of the students who are taking their first steps towards college this fall!
Thank you to our Learning to Work specialists, Jolisa Smith, Phoebe Kuo, and Aimee Kaplan, for putting together these amazing tips for our students!