Procrastination blues
We're now well into college admissions season, with regular decision deadlines coming due at many colleges and universities within the next month or so. If you have a high school senior who has not completed their college applications, you may be feeling stressed, frantic, or perhaps a bit helpless because you have done everything you can think of to light a fire under them, and it hasn't worked.
Your senior is likely experiencing the same emotions as you. Most procrastinators feel anxious and stressed. Unfortunately, these feelings may not be enough to motivate them into action. Seniors sometimes drag their feet on college applications because they are afraid they will make mistakes on the application, or the task feels large and overwhelming, or they underestimate the amount of time the applications will take to complete, or they are discouraged because they don't believe they will be accepted at any of their top choices.
If you find yourself in this situation, talk with your senior to find out why they are having trouble working on their applications. Avoid letting your frustration cause you to interject. Just let them talk out why they are procrastinating and what they think they need to have happen to change their situation.
Some solutions that might help break this pattern of inaction: split the task into manageable chunks and decide when each section will be completed, put all commitments between now and application deadlines on a calendar so they can see how much time they actually have available to work on college applications, have someone sit with them to get started, and possibly re-evaluate their college list and add or substitute colleges that the student is likely to be accepted to.
If you'd like assistance getting this process moving, Confluence College Admissions Consulting is one of very few college admissions consulting firms that takes new seniors at this time of year. Use the contact form on my website to schedule a free one-hour consultation, and we can immediately get started on a four- or six-session package to get college applications completed, polished, and submitted ahead of the January or February deadline.
