Here's how to handle stress and manage mental health while applying to top colleges

Students going through the transitional period between high school and college, often ignore their mental health. Stress induced by the anxieties revolving around the apprehensions of building a successful career through the right choices of college and academics is a key factor in triggering mental health issues. Getting into top schools such as the Ivy Leagues integrates an extensive process of grades, tests, and application assimilation. The overwhelming amount of effort and pressure that goes into it, can negatively impact a student’s mental health. Crimson Education has been enabling our students to get through the application process without undermining their mental health status by identifying and navigating through the stress triggers and suggesting ways to tackle them for a successful and prosperous academic future. Application process stress College admissions, especially in the top universities are getting increasingly competitive, with each passing year. Admissions officers look for specific passion and interest in a particular area among students and integrate a batch who are diversely outstanding in their own academic niche. Post education competition, in terms of careers scope is also racking up and hence, getting into the best institutions like the Ivy Leagues can be an experience of talent and time investment. For instance, Harvard produces a mere 4.92 percent admission rate, which effectively means that most applications are filtered out and only a handful are chosen. This can shake up a student’s confidence about themselves, resulting in mental health disturbances of various kinds. Excelling in academics and then getting into prestigious institutions from their time in school, is a pressure that students constantly live in and consistent good performance, along with living up to expectations often results in a hyper-stressed environment. So, if the goal is of a valued admission to a good college, a student must create a timeline and to-do list to map out every component to reach that goal. Furthermore, they should build these plans sustainably, so that they don’t interfere with one’s daily self-care routine like normal sleeping or sports hours. We all know that hard work is the mother of success of any kind but one must also remember that stress is the killer of motivation and inspiration. Thus, striking a balance is what students should strive for. Managing the application process It is key to understand that success does not come with compromising one’s wellbeing. Hence, it’s imperative to create a proportionate balance between round-the-clock professional or academic persona with one’s self-care hours. This will eventually carve the path for a flourishing future. We have worked with numerous students over the years and understand that each situation is different. Yet, there are a few common points of discussion that can help students to strike a viable balance in tackling the stress of the application process and their mental comfort. Conscious self-awareness is what top colleges stress upon in potential students, and this makes it more than just a personal ingredient of well-being. Thus, it becomes important to considering colleges that are a good fit for their goals and objectives. Crimson provides its students a school list that further helps in categorizing and filtering potential options best suited for their goals. Comparison equals stress and confusion While choosing universities, students often make the mistake of comparing their abilities with that of their peers, which can be counterproductive. Instead of leaning on to others’ experiences, student s must always focus on their own skills, interests, which will help them in narrowing down their selection list. For instance, we categorize schools into three levels, based on a student’s objectives: Safety Schools: These are the ones where the student’s academic profile exceeds the school’s published requirements for admission. They should feel confident that they would gain admission to these schools based on eligibility and their own compass of skills, cut-offs, etc. Target Schools: Target schools should be colleges and universities that have admissions requirements such as grades, standardized test scores, and class rank that generally match the student’s academic performance. Reach Schools: Reach schools are universities where the academic profile may fall towards the bottom or below the admissions requirements set by the college or university. In some cases, these schools may seem like a long shot, but it is important to remember that more goes into a college application than grades. Taking care of mental health Practicing simple things that have consistently been a part of the lifestyle such as music therapy, yoga, mindfulness, running or other sports, can help relieve stress. Another key lifestyle aspect, oct to be ignored during this time is socializing. Friends and family bring more joy than one may give them credit for. Meditation is also another practice that helps students stay focused and retain their calm during an ultra-hectic process such as admission. Top universities and colleges like Harvard have concurred that meditation is one of the most effective ways of handling stress not just among students but for people across ages and backgrounds. Students going through the application process run a higher risk of striking a stress-induced issue that can interfere with their ability to focus and perform in both the short and long term. Just following a few day-to-day tips can help in relieving the overwhelming feeling and allow them to actually pave the way for constructive planning of their academic future. Kunal Mehra is currently the Country Manager for Crimson’s India office. He has spent over 16 years in the education sector across different verticals including holding positions at some of the world’s leading education and technology companies such as Coursera and the College Board. Crimson Education is the world’s most successful US/UK university admissions support consultancy with a presence across 25+ nations with a network of over 2,400+ mentors and experts from across the globe

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