What to Do After College Applications are Submitted

Ahhh, Friday. Nothing like the end of a long week to put a little bit of extra spring in your step. And if youre an applicant who has finally finished putting together and submitting your applications, this Friday could be particularly relaxing.For the vast majority of college applicants, mid-January marks the point at which youve finished all of your applications. Whether you applied early and have been done for months or caught one of the many January 15 deadlines earlier this week, hopefully youre now at a point where you can stop obsessing over test scores, transcripts, essays, recommendations, and other application necessities. If you successfully submitted an application this cycle, whether one or twenty, heres something from all of us here at :Congratulations!!!While this particular outlet doesnt allow me to add much more emotion to the above exclamation (short of adding more exclamation points, but I consider three an absolute maximum), please accept our heartfelt best wishes . Everyone here, from editors to customer support, means it.With applications done, I often get asked whether there is anything else hopeful students should do at this time of year. The simple answer is yes see below for three suggestions on steps you should take when your applications are complete.1. Say Thank you!No matter how hard you worked to pull applications together, you inevitably had help from others during the process. Make sure that you take some time to say thanks to everyone who helped you along the way. Particularly important are those who wrote recommendations on your behalf. You may also want to reach out to those who helped you with essays, standardized test preparation, or general support. Finally, its always worth saying thanks to your parents even if you think they did nothing but nag and worry throughout the entire application process, theyre still immensely deserving of some gratitude.2. Dont completely check out.Applications are done, but that doesnt mean y ou should start coasting right now. There are still many good reasons to stay focused and avoid the infamous senior slump. Here are just a few: AP exams. If youre taking any AP courses, giving them your all and ultimately earning a 4 or 5 on AP exams can earn you college credit or allow you to skip entry-level coursework. Financial aid. Merit-based financial aid will definitely consider your academic performance as a whole, including this semester. Waitlisting. Dont forget that theres a chance you wont be accepted or rejected when admissions decisions are made, but rather waitlisted. If that happens, you wont want to give the school any reason to second guess your credentials.3. Relax!This ones simple. At this point, the process is out of your hands. Dont obsess over things, worrying that you couldve improved on something or made a mistake somewhere else. Your application is in, you did your best, and thats all that the admissions committee can ask for. Admissions officers are the o nes who will now be staying up late agonizing over applications. Its your turn to put your feet up, catch up on sleep, and remember what high school life is like without an application hanging over your head!