Right as January 2nd rolled around, seniors started to breathe again. A majority of us had submitted all our college applications, and we kissed supplemental essays goodbye! So, you’d think that all the weight was lifted off our shoulders, right? Not quite. As March has quickly approached, we’ve entered into this period known as “The Waiting Game.” How does one play this game, you ask? As a matter of fact, it mainly consists of numerous questions and inquiries from friends and family, such as, “So, where are you going to college?” The part that makes the game REALLY fun is the fact that your only response is simply, “I don’t know.”

For most seniors, the whole college application process started in August 2018, when we began to construct our Common Application essays. Fast forward to March 2019, we have been in this college application and decision process for nearly eight whole months. Some might point out that second semester is a “breeze,” and we virtually do not have to worry about anything. While second semester – in my opinion – has been less stressful than the first due to the absence of college essays consuming my to-do lists, I would not characterize it as a “breeze.”

In actuality, second semester remains important for our transcripts, as those who get waitlisted at schools might need to submit their second-semester grades for additional consideration. Furthermore, being a player in the Waiting Game is downright unsettling. Senior Noel Ermer points out:

“After you press submit, the process is completely out of our hands. Some people find January and February to be freeing, but for me, I found myself feeling a different type of stress. I disliked the lack of control and waiting. Three or four months is a really long time to sit and do nothing.”

Looking back at the past eight months, I truly commend my classmates for remaining resilient when faced with the beast that is the college application process. Within these months, we have worked tirelessly to perfect our essays, spent long nights preparing to take our last few exams, practiced our interview responses in the mirror incessantly, received some incredible news, and also received some heartbreaking news. In just a few short weeks, we will be faced with deciding the future of our education. Whether it be an extremely simple decision, or a brutally-difficult one, I applaud my class for working so hard to arrive at this point and stand triumphant over college applications.