It’s that time of year—college season. With many colleges having an Early Action/Decision deadline on Nov. 1, seniors are scrambling to get their applications done, scores perfected and essays written. Getting into a “good school” is all that seems to matter right now, but at what cost? 

It’s no secret that a tremendous amount of pressure to succeed is put on teens, often causing an overwhelming amount of stress. In Naperville, students are expected to not only maintain an excellent GPA but also to earn exemplary standardized test scores, that will, in theory, lead them to prestigious colleges. You may feel lost right now in regards to admissions, but have no fear—here is your college application survival guide. 

Remember that your test scores and grades don’t define you. Cheesy, yes, but in the midst of everyone asking about your SAT/ACT scores, it’s easy to forget that these tests don’t say anything about you besides your ability to answer questions in a limited amount of time. You are more than these numbers! Ten years from now, nobody will ask what your high school GPA was or even bring up the ACT or SAT. 

Map out what you want in a school. Size, location, religious affiliation, majors offered, price, and so much more play a role in the appeal of a school. College Board offers a comprehensive college search tool on its website, which asks your preferences in order to produce a list of potential schools that fit your personal criteria. Even if you already have a list of your top schools, there could be great options lying beneath your radar. 

Organize your prospective schools. Take the schools that you have an interest in and find a way to organize them that works for you. Google offers great forms of organization, such as spreadsheets in Sheets, lists in Docs or checklists in Keep. Make columns that include useful information, like the school’s location, average GPA/ACT/SAT, tuition, application fee, application deadline and anything else of relevance to you. Go through and highlight the schools you really want to attend, separating them into safety, reach, and target schools. Take into consideration the deadlines and application fees, then narrow down the list to schools you will be applying to. 

Don’t apply to a school just to apply to it. You should genuinely have an interest in going to the schools to which you’re applying, due to the time and money it takes to apply to each one. Also, remember to be conscious of your attraction to the school; wanting to go to a certain school can be subconsciously based on the name. The big, well-known schools will often catch your eye, but they may not actually have what you’re looking for. Look deeply into each school, and know exactly why you want to go there. 

Apply. Now for the actual applications. Some schools use the Common Application, but others don’t, opting for prospective students to fill out an application directly through the school. Each institution varies in application process, so make sure you look into each application in advance so you know their policy. It might feel like schools want to hear certain things on your applications, but the most important thing is to be yourself! Especially in your essays, be authentic. You want to be accepted to schools for being yourself, not someone else. 

Don’t forget about scholarships. Filling out the scholarship questionnaire on Naviance is very useful, and can connect you to financial opportunities you didn’t know existed; the questionnaire can be found in the “My Surveys” section of the “About Me” tab. Another useful tool is websites that organize scholarships that fit you, such as Cappex, Scholarships.com, FastWeb, College Board and more. Also, don’t forget to fill out your FAFSA and CSS for financial aid.

Pace yourself. Everyone copes with stress differently, and it’s important you find what works for you. Remember to use your resources! Going to the College and Career Center (located in the Learning Commons) and talking with your guidance counselor in Student Services are both extremely helpful and can help you figure out exactly what you need to do to apply.

Be mindful. In the midst of all the chaos, remember to take care of your mind and body. Sleep is incredibly important, and most teenagers are definitely sleep-deprived, getting much less than the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep, according to The National Sleep Foundation. Try to solidify a sleep schedule; go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time each day. To get the best rest possible, turn your phone off before bed, get into a nighttime routine, reduce caffeine intake, keep your room dark and quiet, don’t go to bed with a full or empty stomach and relax before bedtime.

Another good way to relieve stress is to put aside time for yourself every day to do something that makes you happy. Try to block off at least 30 minutes to do something you like to do—read, write, listen to music, play music, hang out with friends, watch TV, meditate, cook, make art, workout, just relax, whatever works for you! This gives you a break from the overwhelming nature of the college admission process. 

Basically, just take care of yourself. Mentally, physically, emotionally, take care of yourself. Stress can break you down, especially right now with the added pressure of college. Just take a few breaths and remember that the end of application season is in sight, and the pieces will fall into place.