How College Applications Became a Demoralizing Process
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Whether a student is a freshman or a senior, college is often a subject swirling in the mind or a frequent topic of conversation with friends or family. However, these thoughts and discussions frequently evoke more negative feelings than positive ones. Why does a topic that should objectively be exciting provoke such levels of stress and anxiety?
The college application process has drastically evolved, with this year’s cycle differing vastly from cycles before COVID-19, let alone from earlier generations. Applications have become more rigorous, demanding higher grades, prestigious extracurriculars, and standout essays. Along with these growing difficulties, the craze surrounding college admissions has followed suit. In recent years, some self-proclaimed college experts online have suggested that selection for admissions occurs primarily within competition pools of classmates in the same school. Whether accurate or not, this scarcity mindset subconsciously encourages students to see their peers as rivals to beat, when in reality, everyone can succeed in their own ways — there is no need to drag others down. It is disheartening to witness classmates pit themselves against each other because of an unconfirmed assumption.
Moreover, in the same way, social media is a highlight reel of people’s lives, platforms like TikTok and Reddit typically only boost one-of-a-kind success stories on their algorithms, omitting what the majority of post-high school journeys can look like. Students are left comparing themselves to their peers and strangers on the internet with different (but undisclosed) stories and circumstances. The pressure to craft a perfect application and the culture of comparison on a local, national, and even global scale can take a massive toll on a teenager’s self-esteem and mental health in an already vulnerable and transitional period of their life.
While it may seem like everybody is already so sure of their life plans, picking majors and universities is sometimes a one-and-done task. It is perfectly normal to have lingering uncertainties — or even flat-out confusion — about what the future may look like. Yet, when everyone seems to have everything figured out, it is only natural to succumb to those expectations. However, life is not a set of checkboxes or a timeline meant to be mindlessly followed — it is the unexpected turns and events that make life fruitful and beautiful.
Arguably, the most substantial change to the college application process is its increasing commercialization — a mystery market that profits from fear. Today, private counselors, essay editors, testing tutors, summer programs, dual enrollment classes, and countless other costs are promising to fill any perceived gaps in an application. Anxious students and parents alike are eager to hand over money for anything that could even slightly increase their chances. These expenses quickly add up and can easily become a financial burden or are simply not feasible for many families, leaving them feeling inequitable barriers are preventing them from pursuing their dreams. The general commercialization of the college application process does not just affect students — it strains families.
Although the flaws in today’s college applications culture are evident and essential to recognize, everything will unlikely revert to how it once was. However, that does not change the fact that each student’s journey is unique. No grade, extracurricular, or essay can fully capture the complexity of an individual, and every student has the potential for success, which looks different to everyone.
