In many high school student and parent circles, the college application process is like a movie made up of equal parts thriller and suspense, but with varying climactic endings ranging from tragedy to triumph. From the senior families who’ve been participating to the underclassmen who’ve been spectating, all this drama just reinforces the message that this is a high-stakes process, one that merits the high anxiety it produces.
But watch how quickly life is about to return to normalcy.
May 1 is approaching, the date by which all seniors must commit to one of the colleges that accepted them. And while there will be exceptions for students placed on waitlists (note to those families, do not forget that you still need to accept an offer of admission by May 1), all of that drama will soon subside. The dinner (and dinner party) conversations about admissions, the hypothesizing of why who got in where, the celebrating and the wound licking–nearly all of it will subside. There’s nothing left to predict, reveal, assess, or explain. Everyone knows the ending. And for most students who have at least one college to choose from, it’s ultimately a happy one.
The truth is that the college admissions process is more romantic comedy than it is high-drama. You may not necessarily know at the beginning where the protagonist will find love, but you can be pretty sure that by the end, he or she will find it with someone and live happily ever after. It may not feel that way now. But trust me, if you’re open to it, this will eventually be your feel good movie of the year.
For families who will soon be starting this movie, remember how it’s likely to end. Remove unnecessary drama and inject some normalcy throughout if you really want to enjoy this flick.