As 2014 gets off to a jumping start, thousands of high school seniors across Maine are finishing up the college application process.

Feb. 1 was an important date for many seniors as it was the deadline to apply, and now seniors must start making final plans for the upcoming school year. This process is no easy thing to go through. The stress can easily build with figuring out how to balance senior year, college planning, and the application process. This can turn what should be a happy and exciting time to a somewhat miserable time.

There are three key stressors that are relevant to most college applicants. First, the application process. Not only is it time consuming, but the thought of having this small application holding the fate of your future can be terrifying. In some ways the process is a reflection of everything you did in high school. From the four-year transcript to the self-reflection essay and everything in between, students are given the challenge to make this 8-10 page application “them.” When asked about the stress of college applications senior Brianne Maloney said, “At the end of it all, I found myself triple-checking my application to ensure myself this application was the most ‘me’ it could be.”

Change is inevitable and this becomes very clear for many students mid-senior year. College decisions bring a sense of excitement and fear. For many seniors the excitement comes from their inner teen rebellion that assures them they are ready to be adults. Imagine your senior year, under your parents’ roof, living by their rules and knowing that in mere months you will be living on your own, and making your own rules. Who wouldn’t think that’s exciting?

Nevertheless, perhaps all this excitement is just hype.

Danielle Proctor, another senior said, “This is all I know, waking up early every morning, and seeing the same familiar faces. But, it’s all about to change. My world as I know it is about to be turned upside down. It is exhilarating, yet totally terrifying all at once.”

For many it still feels like a vision, something that has played out in their heads so many times before, and it is the hope that it is as good as how the menu described it.

For most, the ultimate stress is being able to afford the college of choice. According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2013–2014 school year was $30,094 at private colleges, $8,893 for state residents at public colleges, and $22,203 for out-of-state residents attending public universities. As tuitions are at an all-time high, these numbers can be both the deciding factor and breaking point for not only the students but their families, bringing on a level of stress that is not measureable.

“Money is going to be a huge part of my decision, one part of my plan is to apply for as many scholarships as possible,” said Cassidy Fielding.

Much of the stress relates to the thought of student loans, financial burden on the family, and debt after college. The high cost of college challenges families to be creative with available tools and resources. For example the guidance office at South Portland High School offers financial-aid informational nights and a scholarship box that is frequently being updated. Both of these resources give guidance to help families make the best financial decision possible.

Overall, the journey to college can be stressful yet the vision of the dream is so clear. Like Walt Disney once said, “What I see, way off, is too difficult to describe. But it looks big and glittering.”

Hope Garrison is a senior at South Portland High School.

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