Top Tips for Dealing With College Search Stress

The college search and application process is stressful. Here are some tips from one student who learned how to make their college search a little easier.

If I’m being honest, when my school counselor handed me a checklist of everything I needed to complete in order to apply to college, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. At that point, the summer before my senior year, my “dream school” list was 37 schools long in about 10 different states. I hadn’t the slightest idea where to start, even with a step-by-step checklist sitting in front of me. My future, the thing my counselor had just deemed extremely important, was an intangible question mark. But I managed, like so many other seniors, to complete the college application process (and get accepted to a couple schools along the way). I know you’ll get there too, no matter how stressed you are along the way. It’s a lot more fun to search for colleges and fill out applications when you’re feeling good and confident in yourself! Here are some tricks I learned during my college admission process that help make things a little less stressful.

Get organized before you do anything

You bet that the first thing I did when I got home from the meeting with my guidance counselor was tackle that list. I figured out when each part was due and wrote it in my planner so I wouldn’t forget. Thinking and planning ahead both eases your mind and prevents future stress. If you know exactly what steps you need to take and when before you do them, you won’t have to frantically rush to complete them down the line.

Related: College Search Spreadsheet Template

Don’t let the college search take over your life

While obviously finding the right college is extremely important, spending hours searching on the computer for the “perfect” school isn’t smart. There are thousands of colleges and universities out there, so letting the Internet pull you into the black hole of schools will just make you stressed out. Instead, spend one day making a list of schools you like, and other days looking into one or two schools at a time, crossing off the ones you don’t like. Spread out the work! This way also gives you more time to focus and process each school separately, not to mention decide if you can really picture yourself at that school.

Apply to at least one “safety” school

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a safety school is a college or university you are very confident you will be admitted to. It all depends on your academic profile. For some people, this might be their state public school, local private college, or a community college. Applying to a college where you have a really good shot at being accepted is always a smart move—just don’t treat the school like a “throwaway.” There are some serious advantages to thoughtfully choosing and applying to at least one safety school. One is simply the peace of mind it can bring, which can help reduce college search stress. Also, receiving that first college acceptance letter is an extreme confidence booster and can help you feel less stressed come decision day. You might even consider applying to a safety that has rolling admission so they’ll get back to you quickly, sometimes as early as two weeks after sending your application.

Talk to your school counselor/college advisor

If you need help, ask! It’s your school counselor/college advisor’s job to support you in your search for the right college. Even just talking out loud to someone else about what you’re thinking for decision can help you overcome stress and evaluate your choices more clearly. (Mentors and even trusted friends and family can be really helpful for this too.)

Make other plans

Understand that college isn’t the only option after high school graduation. You can travel, volunteer, or participate in a formal gap year program; join the military; get a job; or anything else that’s meaningful to you! It can be helpful to explore college alternatives, whether or not you’re accepted into school. Even if you’re set on going to college, having other plans to get excited about can make the admission process seem less daunting. A fun summer adventure, perhaps? Choose a country you’d want to travel to, or find a campaign to volunteer at. Set some goals and make some plans!

Remember you can always transfer

It’s normal to be nervous that you didn’t pick the right college for you. First off, no matter where you go, you will have fun. You will meet awesome people and learn awesome things. And you would never know what your experience would be like if you went to your alternate choice. But, even if your college experience isn’t super cool, you can always transfer to another school! It’s not like you’re chained to the campus. Transferring also isn’t as hard as it seems, and a lot of students do it.

Related: 2 Types of Transfer Students: 2-Year vs. 4-Year

There's no hiding it: college shopping is stressful. It’s a lot to think about for a teenager. But, it can—and should—be fun. After all, you’re deciding where you’re going to live for the next part of your life, and while that is scary, it’s also really exciting too. Good luck in your search! You're at the beginning of a beautiful ride.

For more college search advice (but a break from reading articles) check out the advice our student vloggers have on the CollegeXpress YouTube channel!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:
college admission college search dealing with stress senior year stress stress relief

About Skyler Rossi

Skyler Rossi

Skyler is a senior from Princeton, New Jersey, and she will be studying journalism and creative writing next year at the University of Missouri.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Caitlin Eaton

Caitlin Eaton

$10,000 Scholarship Winner, 2021

I first discovered CollegeXpress during my sophomore year of high school while researching colleges that interested me. My SAT prep class the following year further familiarized me with the opportunities available through the organization. CX has personally helped me by exposing me to a diverse selection of schools as well as scholarships and life tips that have provided valuable guidance in my college search.

This scholarship will help me adjust to college life without worrying as much about tuition. This gives me more room to truly explore and benefit from all aspects of higher education. I plan to study Conservation Biology and work protecting species/ecosystems. I’m looking forward to getting field experience and seeing firsthand the problems research is solving.

Rana Slosberg

Rana Slosberg

Slosberg College Solutions LLC

My favorite part of CollegeXpress is the 800+ lists which have all kinds of hard-to-find information. These lists are helpful when I’m creating college lists, and I also use them to give students a feel for a particular college or university.

Brooke Maggio

Brooke Maggio

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me tremendously in my college search in narrowing down the schools I’m interested in. Using the college search tool, I was able to narrow down my choices to schools that matched what I was looking for. I also used CollegeXpress for their scholarship search, which helped me find scholarships that I meet the requirements of.

Hannah Nelsen

Hannah Nelsen

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has helped me look at colleges that fit my interests by taking my profile and matching it to colleges that have the programs I'm looking for. It has the ability to connect me to colleges so I can be contacted by them and look at them more in-depth to find what's right for me. Additionally, the scholarship database is super beneficial for getting scholarships for college. Not only does it help lift the financial burden of college but it shows all the opportunities available. Overall, CollegeXpress has been very helpful to me.

Jada Bohanon

Jada Bohanon

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me find scholarships for the colleges I applied to. It was very hard for me to find scholarships in the beginning that I was qualified for. My teachers recommended this website to find some, and not only did I find some scholarships but I also got to look into some schools I hadn’t heard of before. I was very happy to have discovered this website, especially with the coronavirus spreading all over as I can’t really go visit many colleges.

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Moody Bible Institute

Chicago, IL

Rider University

Lawrenceville, NJ

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA