The Quiet Period

At my high school, the admissions office has what is called the quiet period.  Rather antiquated, it is a brief time when the private schools in the area give all their applicants and families a break from the admissions frenzy.  For my seniors however, the quiet period is simply a time to wait for that admission email or letter (believe it or not, some colleges still send letters the old-fashioned way) that tells them they're in or they're out.  Yes, no, or in some cases, maybe. With only a few more weeks to go, they are nearing the end of a long and often arduous process.

Because we're nearing the end of the college quiet period, some of my students are understandably anxious and tense.  For them, their future is riding on a decision that is being made in some far off room, and despite what anyone tells them, it feels extraordinarily personal.  It isn't, we tell them, but it sure does feel like it.

Recently a senior who has already been denied at her first choice school, talked about how embarrassing it is to have to tell her family, friends, and teachers the news.  It's almost, she said, as if she's letting them down in some way.  She has other great college choices, but although she's trying not to show it, this one hurts.  It most definitely feels personal to her.  Another girl was accepted at one of her top schools, but she learned she will not get any money from them, so now it's off the table.  To be fair, a big scholarship was a long shot at best, but she too can't help but feel like it's very personal.

All I can do can do is listen.  All I can do is acknowledge, that yes, it hurts.  I can, and I do tell them that they will be okay.  The hurt and embarrassment will pass.  They will still accomplish their goals, I say, they just will take a different path to get there.  And more likely than not, the path they end up taking will be the more interesting choice.  It might take them places they never thought they'd go.

This waiting period for high school seniors is a tough exercise in patience.  I wish I could make it better, we all do.  I just want them to understand, to believe that they are wonderful young women who have so much to offer the world.  Of this I am sure.  Right now, all any of us can do is wait, and in the meantime, it is very, very quiet.