by Madeline Best

What schools are you looking at? Have you seen your ACT score? You’re only applying to that many schools? You know that major is pretty competitive, right? Wow, you haven’t even applied yet?

These questions are thrown at me as I talk to fellow classmates about the most important thing on every senior’s mind this fall, college. Whether it is the fear of the unknown or the application process that causes our stress, I don’t see the need to put pressure on each other when we are already under enough pressure about college from our families, teachers, and counselors.

I’ll admit, I’m just as stressed about college as any other senior and I find myself asking those same questions to my peers as we discuss the never-ending topic of college. But, I think it’s important that we see how talking about college with friends should be a positive topic, rather than something to stress over.

We are all currently going through the same process; the initial fear of pressing the “send” button on an application, the uneasy feeling of someone looking over your transcript right this second, constantly checking the mailbox to see if today is the day your acceptance letter has finally arrived. While some of us have been lucky enough to already hear back from our colleges, some are still waiting anxiously for an answer.

There is a fine line between sharing the good news that yes, you are going to college, and flashing your acceptance around for everyone to see. Just recently, I heard back from my top choice school, but before I had seen people posting pictures on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter of their acceptance letters to the same college I was waiting to hear from, which caused me to panic. Of course I was happy for them, that meant I would see them on campus next year, but it also served as a reminder that one more spot at that school had been filled and my future was still up in the air. I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t share your good news, but just know that in the middle of application season some of your fellow peers might appreciate it if you wait a little bit longer until posting those pictures and statuses about where you’ll be next year.

Like I said, since we are all going through the same process, we are a support system for each other. So if it’s a friend talking about her issues with the Common App or a conversation about ACT scores, remember that keeping it positive, rather than an interrogation of questions, will make everyone feel better.