The Waiting Game

There are few things I remember as being more stressful in high school than waiting for my decision. It felt like the rest of my life depended on the contents of those letters; everything I had worked for was going to be either validated or torn apart in the first sentence of the letter. Now let’s pause.

By this point in time, you may or may not have already begun getting those fateful letters. I want to take this time to remind you that your hard work is in no way dependent upon the opening line of those letters! You have worked hard and nothing can take away from that! You should be proud of yourself. The important thing to know, and I’m sure you have heard it a thousand times, is the people reading your application are putting their hearts and souls into the readings! They don’t take these lightly and it is incredibly hard.

Now, let’s get back to the waiting. I know it can seem unbearable, but my best advice is not to think about it. No matter how much you wish otherwise, your decision won’t come any faster just by constantly thinking about it. I tried to focus on each day, on classes (they still aren’t over), on friends, on practices, and on making sure that I wasn’t missing out on any of the last few weeks of high school. Maybe most importantly, don’t assume that one rejection means every other decision will also be negative; I had several rejections before I finally got that fateful email from W&M.

So, because I tend to ramble, let me summarize. You are smart, talented and hard-working, and nothing changes that, so try not to spend every waking (and sleeping) moment thinking about the decisions. It isn’t going to change the outcomes or make them come faster! Keep busy and productive and make sure you aren’t letting your senior year slide by without enjoying it. College can wait a few more months.

Rooting for you!
– Adam