TW: discussion of mental health., which I am aware can be a challenging topic to talk about or even discuss!
All opinions in this are strictly my own, if you have suggestions, feel free to share!
Hi all,
You may or may not know me, but I’m infamously known for the Pressure Cooker (this specific post is deleted.) post on my “Senior Year Schedule + Introduction!” thread, which, at the time of writing, is closed at my request.
However, if you don’t know me like that, pretend I didn’t say anything! You may just know me as Elsa and Engineering hopeful, because @blossom seems to address me as such.
Don’t get me wrong, though…Let it Go does work…in some cases.
Mental health is a serious crisis all throughout the world, and is clearly prevalent in more places than others, but I am not here to bore you with mental health-related statistics. I am here to say that it affects everyone at different points. No one is immune to mental health problems. I am here to give an array of tips, because I have fallen victim to the mental health problem attached to College Applications.
Background/About Me: I am a high school senior (quick stats: 86.90 W GPA, 1310 SAT [660 RW, 650 M], hoping to major in a STEM field) I’ve been learning disabled and classified as “speech and language impaired” (if you reply, please steer away from using figurative language, idioms, things with multiple meanings, etc. I am unable to understand these.) since forever, to put it in a not-so overwhelming information-way. A couple of months ago, I went through my second ever mental health crisis, where I was told I have depression. Not to go into too many details, I spoke with my therapist some weeks ago and she addressed that I also definitely have anxiety, no questions asked. My anxiety also impacts my heart rate…I went to the doctor the other day (for a two-week follow up after my reported heart rate was high) and we could not lower my blood pressure after 4 attempts, so I’d think she’s a little worried about me. I definitely grapple with intrusive thoughts, but ever since I dropped out of my 3 AP courses, they’ve been minimized. The only time they return is when I hyperfixate on College Applications, School, or whenever I’m crying excessively and don’t know what to do or how to put a pause on my thoughts.
But mental health is something I don’t usually advocate on. I’m still scared to talk about my mental health crisis, I see the school social worker and my therapist concurrently to minimize my anxiety/depression, and I know my life could be better. I am also working to find my identity, as it’s something I have to go digging for, because I don’t know who I want to be.
College Application Season is meant to be stressful, I’m very aware of that. But when you find it eating away at your personal hobbies and strengths, you need to take a step back and reassess.
Do I really want to go to this school? Why or why not?
If yes, but it’s (the application is) taking over your life, take a break. Close your computer, sign out of the Common App (or any application for that matter) and get up. Do what brings you the most joy. I listen to music (particularly Let it Go, here is my favorite multilanguage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT9lLmgs7NY), play piano, put on excessive amounts of lotion (as its soothing), or work on my personal autobiography. But those are just my ways, and they may not work for everyone. I assessed Cornell after feeling stressed out about all the extra work I needed to do. It’s a lot!
Ivy League schools aren’t for anyone. / They definitely aren’t it for me.
Is there a way to remove the stress caused by College Applications?
I feel like this is a very controversial question. If you start your Applications early, maybe. But typically colleges might change their prompts. For example, NYU’s prompt before this year was “Why NYU?” or you had to choose a quote for your optional essay (and there were six options?), and asked the following: We are looking for peacemakers, changemakers, global citizens, boundary breakers, creatives and innovators – Choose one quote from the following and let us know why it inspires you, or share a short quote and person not on our list who inspires you, and include why. (250 words). But this prompt changed this year to the Bridge Builder (Your Guide to the 2024-25 NYU Supplemental Essay Question - MEET NYU) prompt, which I like better…but I’m biased toward my preferences. So, if you do plan on writing supplemental essays during the summer, you have to keep in mind that these may change. You can also work super hard to prepare for your SAT/ACT exam that you don’t have to worry about it going into your senior year. I took the PSAT once my junior year (soph. year I did not have the required documentation approved in time to let me test with CB-approved accommodations) and took the SAT four times to reach my desired score (1300+). All test takers are different, as one may be a One-Shot Wonder; while another may be the opposite.
What coping strategies can I use to alleviate the pressure?
Another strictly personal question, because my coping strategies have taken many attempts to create.
For example, I know I don’t calm down well when I’m taking deep breaths, and even my doctor asked me that and I told her that I don’t like them. She says I take shallow breaths instead…which feel better for me. I have created a coping card for myself to manage my anxiety.
To parents:
If you’re a parent reading this, I hope your child(ren)’s application season is going relatively well. I also want to put this out there: Don’t push your kid to apply somewhere that they don’t want to go. This is a major problem already, and putting more pressure on them is not helpful in the long run. I also learned that you should take your time with College Applications. Yes, they may feel like a race (if you want priority scholarships/earlier acceptances/etc.) but it’s not Formula 1. Like my parents tell me, It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
To students:
Please take a deep breath. You’ve got this. You have control over yourself in this process. Stay cool, calm, and collected. If not, speak to a trusted person to get the help you need. Do not be ashamed to ask for help.
Like Steve Jobs said in his Stanford Commencement Speech, “Stay hungry, stay foolish,” in reference to the Whole Earth Catalog written by Stewart Brand. (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc)
Thank you for reading this. It means a lot to me that you actually cared to read what I said, because this topic is not really discussed.
Good night/morning/afternoon (wherever you are)!
~ Liv (P.S.: I am currently on an indirect hiatus, where I check my PM [private messages] more than my actual threads. If you reply to a thread of mine along with other people, I will most likely answer you and another person’s at the same time. But I may also respond to you immediately/whenever I ritually check CC. Thanks!)
I hope it all works out in the end. 
Liv is rooting for you! 
