The Antidote to August AnxietyThe Antidote To August Anxiety +Grade Specific College Planning To-Do's

First the theory: the August devolution into a month of ‘Sunday night Scaries‘ is just a reflex.  An involuntary fear/flight anticipatory response to the unknown of the long journey ahead.

And as is the case with nearly all ‘panic’ — the fear is often most pronounced in ‘the anticipation’ phase, in the build-up, the unknown. In fact, once the anticipated event (in this case, school) starts and the real work actually begins, the worry and the apprehension dissipates.  
 
The problem, then, is not really the start of school. The problem is August – the days before any real action can be taken. Now there’s only one fool-proof antidote to anticipatory panic: to start, to do something, to take action. When you feel like you can’t take any real action yet, you simply stew in the anticipation. 
 
Which is why we have a solution for you. 
 
::: The Antidote to The Back-To-School Anxiety ::: 
 
The antidote to the anxiety of a new school year is to start taking action. (Even if it’s a small step.)   
 
Not sure what step to take? No worries. We have a checklist of grade-specific To-Dos that can easily be ‘checked off’ between now and the start of school. Taking action on even one item will both decrease school anxiety and set you up for a great September start. 
 
::: For 12th Graders :::  
 
Though many dramas like a new school year can be ones of our own making, parents of 12th grade college-bound high schoolers are facing some real serious challenges this particular fall. If you’re the parent of a rising 12th grade, the Common App opens today! That means that colleges are theoretically already accepting applications. Now is the time to make the shift from gathering information to making decisions based on the information you’ve gathered. It’s also the time to mentally transition from seeking more experiences to learning to tell people about how your past experiences have shaped how you think, what they say about you, your school and your world. 
 

 Here’s a checklist especially for you:  
 

• Expect it to be a little chaotic, but that doesn’t mean that you have to or should get swept up in the chaos; RESIST THE URGE TO COMPARE NOTES WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS  This is YOUR journey! 

• Beat the rush! Email your college counselor to make an appointment to speak with him or her if you need to work through scheduling concerns, to confirm the procedures for requesting your official transcripts, teacher recommendations and to find out if/when schools that you are currently considering are planning to visit your high school. 

• Decide whether you are going to take the SAT or ACT again this fall; and if you plan to do so, make sure that you register for the upcoming September 14 ACT by the Aug 9 deadline or the upcoming October 5 SAT by the Sept 20 deadline! 

• Make decisions! Narrow down the list of colleges to which you plan to apply to 12 or fewer; Enter those schools in the Common App so that you know each deadline! 

• Write your College Application Resume or Create Your Activities Sheet 

• Write the First Draft of your Personal Statement (500-600 words)  

• Do your anticipating, contingency-planning and trouble-shooting NOW before the stress and emotions of the school year make doing so far more difficult. Did I mention that now is a good time to GET ORGANIZED! I’m sure you know that you struggled with a subject or with a concept (including time management), so make a list of what you’ll need from your family, your teachers, yourself to overcome those and other challenges.

For 9-11th Graders: What To Do Between Now and The Start of School 
 

• Most important!! The format and scoring of standardized tests are changing! Attend Our AUGUST 7 Emergency Test Prep Strategy Webinar to learn what’s happening and what you need to do to maximize your test taking opportunities. 

• Expect it to be a little chaotic, but that doesn’t mean that you have to or should get swept up in the chaos 

• Beat the rush! Email your guidance counselor to make an appointment to talk to him or her if you need to work through scheduling concerns 

• Read! Finish your reading list and if you don’t have a reading list, plan to read a book for FUN – the best way to prepare for the school year and for any standardized test is to READ! 

• Talk about and make a list of the ways to get involved this year.  Throughout high school (and particularly in the first couple of years), we want students to participate in all types of school activities and extra-curriculars so long as they choose activities that truly appeal to their interests.   

• That said as they progress through high school (and especially in 11th grade), DON’T OVERDO IT!  Go for depth over breadth. College admissions committees are more impressed with evidence of a substantive commitment to one or two activities than by a long list of superficial memberships.  

• Do your anticipating, contingency-planning and trouble-shooting NOW before the stress and emotions of the year make doing so far more difficult in the moment. I’m sure you know that you struggled with a subject or with a concept (including time management), so make a list of what you’ll need from your family, your teachers, yourself to overcome those and other challenges 

 
If you have any follow up questions about the pending testing changes, or you would like additional advice about overcoming August angst, or you need a sanity-saving chat on next steps to take before the start of the school year, then simply reply to this email or call me to discuss. 
 
Best, 

Peter 
 
P.S. To all the rising 12th graders who are applying to college, it’s GO TIME. The Common App is open! 
 
P.P.S. We received a great response last week to our Emergency Test Prep Strategy Webinar. We still have some spots left. If you’re the parent of a 9th-11th grader, click here to register.