Early Decision, Emotional Ride

For high school students applying to college, the early decision (ED) process, a binding application procedure that requires students to commit to a university if accepted, is often one of the most stressful moments of the admissions journey. Come December, seniors struggle with a mix of anxiety and excitement. While receiving results earlier than regular applicants can be relieving, students also endure immense pressure both before and after they receive their results. 

While waiting for their results to be released, students’ minds are often clouded with worry and fear. “The whole process was just so nerve-wracking. Waiting for the result to come out, I tried my best to distract myself from overthinking, but the thought of not getting in was always in the back of my mind. My ED school was definitely a reach for me rather than a safety, and I think that’s what made me even more anxious,” Anonymous Senior , who preferred to stay anonymous due to discussing college results feeling sensitive, stated in an email interview. 

The overwhelming stress can create restlessness amongst students.“I started creating scenarios. The more time I thought about it, the more anxious I got. It even impacted my sleep,” senior Gabriella Hoefner added. 

This pressure had students on their toes, especially during the school day, when most early decision results were released. The looming threat of early decisions adds onto the already stressful, heavy workload of a Stuyvesant student.  “It feels like if you didn’t get in, it feels like four years of work would’ve been wasted,” senior Jenny Tan explained. In an environment where so much pressure is placed on college results, early decisions become a burden. 

Students have found ways to process the high-strung emotions that surround early decisions, though every student responds to their results differently. Many have learned to come to terms with their result, regardless of their expectations. “I coped with, and in the end, if it’s not for me, it’s not for me,” senior Fabiha Khan explained. 

Likewise, some students have found solace in spending time with loved ones. “To distract myself from all those negative thoughts, I spent a lot of time with my family and friends, who reassured me that this wasn’t the end of my journey, and I just feel so grateful to have them,” Anonymous Senior A said. 

 Students who shared rejections also found it helpful to spend time with friends. “Everyone around me ED’d somewhere, and so if they didn’t get in we just all talked about how we could further our application for other schools,” senior Fabiha Khan said. Feeling stress and rejection together can lighten the burden that some students feel after the early application rounds.

Of course, sometimes it is difficult for students to process disappointment with their peers, as seeing other students be accepted may affect students’ self-image and confidence. “Seeing others get into their ED schools definitely made me feel worse at first,” Anonymous Senior A stated.“Everyone at Stuy is super smart and seeing so many people getting into those competitive schools made it so hard not to compare myself to them,” they continued. Immediately after receiving their college early decision results, many students posted on their social media, making comparison hard to avoid as soon as one opens their phone.  

Friends’ successes are certainly bittersweet. “It was exciting to see my friends get into where they wanted. I was proud,” Hoefner explained. “But it made me more disappointed.” Mixed emotions are a given when dealing with the complex emotions surrounding college admissions. 

Seeing others get accepted even before ED decisions come out can also put stress on those that are ED’ing to a school. QuestBridge (QB), an organization dedicated to matching low-income students to top colleges on a full ride scholarship, releases their matches before ED results come out. The acceptances of QB applicants can stir up anxiety amongst those applying early decision. “A lot of my friends got in through QB and of course I was like really happy for them but that compounded into like ‘what if that doesn’t happen to me?’” Tan admitted.

At its core, of course, the Stuyvesant community strives to be supportive. Despite initial setbacks, students are happy to see their peers’ successes. “The people that got in obviously deserved it, and it was nice seeing that these people got in,” Khan added. 

 In fact, many students felt at ease after ED results, despite initial dismay. “While I was disappointed by the result, I also felt a sense of relief. The anxiety was finally over,” Anonymous Senior A described.  

Some students viewed rejection as an opportunity for new possibilities. “Getting rejected was obviously heartbreaking, but it didn’t discourage me. If anything, I could focus even more on my other regular applications. Even though I didn’t get into my dream school, there are so many other great schools and I feel like this can lead to opportunities I hadn’t really considered before,” Anonymous Senior A claimed. 

The college admission process can often feel overwhelming and disappointing with years of hard work and high expectations students place on themselves. Yet, even in the face of rejection, many students find ways to cope with it and move forward. Rejection isn’t the end; rather, it’s a new beginning.