Anxiety is about the future and depression about the past, as they say. This shows quite clearly in the college application process, which can be a significant mental health burden on prospective students and their families. Instead of seeing it as a process to make a good fit between young people and the place where they will spend a considerable amount of time, in many people’s minds, it has become something that it is not. The college application process is not about determining a young person’s future or their future options but about finding a place where they can flourish, which truly generates success. Unfortunately, too often, it feels like college is merely a rung on a ladder to find a later place of happiness. However, without a degree of fitting in and happiness, it becomes much more difficult to flourish in college. Thus, seeing the college application process as something potentially enjoyable where a good fit between a young person and a college community is to be resolved at the end of the day can help to counter the anxiety and fears this process entails for many.
The attached article explores this further in a cultural context.
