As college application deadlines loom, seniors across the nation are working diligently to finish college essays, complete financial aid forms, apply for housing, and more. The entire college application experience can be incredibly stressful.
According to nbcnews.com, teens already feel more stressed than adults and preparing for college can be overwhelming, especially since many students hope for acceptance letters that they most likely will not receive. The University of Central Florida’s acceptance rate is only 48.9%, which is high compared to other state schools, such as Florida State University (44%), and the University of Florida (39%).
The numbers appear even more hopeless for students aspiring to attend an Ivy League school. Princeton University accepts 7.4% of applicants, Yale University accepts 6.3%, and only 5.9% of Harvard applicants will be accepted. In an increasingly competitive field, more and more students’ dreams are fading away.
The financial burden of college is also a major stress factor for teens. The average cost of attending a public college equals more than 17% of the median household income in the US. Attending an out-of-state school is even more expensive, with an average cost of $22,203, according to College Board.
The application process can be a confusing and arduous.
“I think it should be more streamlined,” said senior Martin Lopez, who has applied to UF, UCF, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among other schools.
“There’s a lot of things all over the place: there’s the individual school papers, there’s the FAFSA and then there’s the CSS and it’s kind of hard to keep track of them all,” added Lopez.
Students applying to college are also aware of just how important it is to work hard on their applications.
“…It’s just stressful to know that this could be your future,” said senior Mindi Mallard, adding “I would give students more time in order to fill out all the requirements.”
The application itself is only a small part of the entire college process. Students also must deal with the stress of writing college essays, creating resumes, and keeping their grades up.
With all of the other pressures students deal with in high school, the college application process may be doing more harm than good.