Considering the November 30 deadline for the UCs and CSUs has just passed and the deadline for any other school is just around the corner, the most stressful time of the current Senior Class’s high school career is finally here. This angst will continue to stake its claim in almost every senior’s mind all the way until May when their college plans will be solidified. However, does anyone stop to ask why? Why the stress manages to take over so completely? Or how much damage has really been done? The reality is that the admissions process is exhausting, annoying, unnecessarily stressful, and just plain screwed.

   According to The New York Times, “Students complain about lack of sleep, stomach pain, and headaches, but doctors and educators also worry that stress tied to academic achievement can lead to depression, eating disorders and other mental health problems” (nytimes.com). If students are willing to throw their physical and mental health out the window in order to finish applying to colleges, shouldn’t that be a sign that there’s something wrong with the system? The best part of all this anxiety is that it’s impacting students so considerably before they’ve even gotten to the hardest part — actually being a college student.

   Unfortunately, this stress can lead to bad habits. The American Institute of Stress (AIS) states that “…incoming freshmen are becoming increasingly more aware of the stress college brings because of the rigorous application process. Despite this awareness, these students are not necessarily given healthy coping methods for managing stress” (stress.org). Unhealthy stress reducers can include nicotine abuse, alcohol abuse, caffeine addiction, and misuse of over-the-counter drugs with the promise of a good night’s sleep or an anxiety-free hour. The stress can impact everyone differently and can come from several different sources, but the admissions process is the definition of stress in its purest form.

    A big factor in the stress of the application process is that seniors are desperately trying to finish their applications, all while maintaining their grades, keeping up with extracurriculars, and trying to have some kind of social life. Senior Meredith Olney explained, “I feel like it makes the already hard application process even more difficult. It’s extremely hard to find time to work on applications that decide my future while trying to maintain my schoolwork and keep up with extracurriculars. I have [even] had to miss some practices in order to keep up.” Despite the fact that it’s senior year and many believe that their grades aren’t as important as they were junior year, this is a false assumption. According to a college preparation blog, “Colleges will receive a set of senior year grades, often before they have to make a decision on your application…. It is not uncommon for a college to contact students for an explanation if they see a drop in grades or in rigor of coursework” (prepmatters.com).

   Another major stress factor that’s been integrated into the admissions process is the tediousness and pure idiocy of how the applications are formatted. I’m sorry, but four essays each with a 350-word cap are simply just not enough to get to know someone and determine whether or not they deserve to attend a particular college, and frankly, neither is a singular 1,000-word essay. Likewise, someone should not be denied or admitted because of any standardized test scores. They say that they take everything into account, but the harsh reality is that a slight misstep on your application can send your entire future plans crashing to the ground.

   While there is no singular way to end the stress or cast away the anxiety that comes hand in hand with applying to college, there are some things that could help. A few ways to combat the stress of the application process would be to include making it more user-friendly and extending the timeline for applying. Opening the applications at the very end of one’s junior year can allow the applicant more time to fill everything out to the best of their abilities, and more thoroughly work through writing the essays and Personal Insight Questions. Another solution to make the process somewhat less gruesome is to really streamline what they need to know about an applicant. Dear Common Application, do you really need to know the exact day each of someone’s parents moved to San Diego? Hmm… no. In all honesty, college admissions advisors should work just a little harder to make the process easier on the student.

   As a whole, the college application process is completely convoluted, and the stress and anxiety it’s causing is leaving students severely mentally damaged, before they’ve even begun their college careers. While there’s no one way to fix it, and no easy solution, colleges should look for the answers that might make it just a little less dreadful and a tad less arduous.