last minute application panic by Rona W. '23

Congratulations! If you’re reading this post, you should probably be working on your college applications instead. But since you’re already here, please watch this calming .gif of a cat:

Take a deep breath. Mmm, embrace serenity with 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen, and small amounts of argon/carbon/other gases.

Review your deadlines. Not every school has the same January 1st deadline. Most schools will take letters of recommendation and other supplementary materials after the deadline, but some won’t. Be mindful of every date; it can be helpful to add them to a calendar app or spreadsheet.

Don’t wait until the last minute to submit. Life loves going wrong when the clock is ticking down. Anything might happen—there could be a power outage, the Wi-Fi could fail, your pet could have a meltdown, the apocalypse might show up on your doorstep asking for a charitable donation. Give yourself more time and avoid a heart attack. You’re too young for that.

Send your scores now. Please don’t get stuck paying $30+ for rushed delivery. Think about everything else you could use that money for instead: sixty packages of instant ramen! holiday gifts for distant relatives you totally didn’t forget about! a tenth of a college textbook! The possibilities are endless.

Proofread, proofread, proofread. Look, schools aren’t going to reject you for forgetting an apostrophe, but why give yourself one more thing to fret about, and besides, what did apostrophes ever do to you to deserve that kind of treatment? Have a friend read your essays before submitting.

Enjoy your break. No, refreshing College Confidential does not count as enjoyment. Please go watch that HBO series you’ve wanted to check out, or read a novel that isn’t assigned, or throw an impromptu dance party, or chat with a family member about something that isn’t the application process. It’s called vacation for a reason.

And take another deep breath. You’ve got this.