Senior George Yawakim stared at his computer, wondering what else to add to his University of California (UC) application. It was midnight, halfway through November and he was struggling to polish off his application. As he continued to think, his chest felt heavier and heavier, waves of stress and pressure washing over him. He could feel his muscles tense and the blood pressure in his veins build up.
Yawakim took long, slow, deep breaths and calmed himself down. He reminded himself that this UC application didn’t determine his whole future. He stood up from his computer, looked around his room and decided he needed a break.
Applying for colleges is a stressful process for seniors. One example of this would be the UC applications, which are due on Nov. 30.
According to a UC fact sheet, UC schools have already received 249,824 applications for the year.
To apply to a UC school, students need to complete an online application, which includes providing history on academics, activities and elaborate personal insight questions. Students must also meet all A-G requirements with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
“I’ve been working on the UC applications for a while now and I’m just touching up on them,” Yawakim said.
He expressed how he has dealt with college application stress for UC Applications.
“Most of my stress comes from me thinking that I’m not good enough,” Yawakim said. “I mainly just remember that the overall outcome of my future long-term isn’t heavily affected by whether or not I get into any good UC, or some other good school.”
For anyone struggling with their application, here are some tips from Yawakim to help with the writing process.
“One very important piece of advice I can give is to make sure your extracurricular descriptions are on point,” Yawakim said. “Based on my knowledge of college admissions and from what I’ve heard from previous admissions officers, they care about extracurricular descriptions. Not only do they explain what you’ve done, they’re the most accurate assessment of your writing skills.”
Here are five ways to manage college application stress, according to the Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center.
- Breathe. Step away when you need to and take a few deep breaths if you can feel your anxiety rising.
- Ask for support. Find a person you trust, a friend, family member, or someone in your school community can help with college
- Make a plan. College counselors recommend that you make a checklist of your priorities so you have a roadmap to follow.
- Set aside time. Use this time to work on applications but also make space for things you enjoy. Finding a balance for both can help you concentrate.
- Consider your values. What feels important to you as you apply? Which schools are a good match for you?
