Though the holiday season is usually seen as a time for friends and family to relax and enjoy each other’s company, for many seniors the week leading up to holiday break is one of the most stressful times of the year. As a senior , I have been no stranger to the stress that comes with admissions decisions being released around the holiday season.

From the time I began my applications, I knew that I wanted to apply early action to every college that I could. Early action has a plethora of benefits. For one, it’s not a “binding” decision, which means students don’t have to enroll in the university if admitted. In addition,  receiving a decision earlier in the school year leaves more time for seniors to reflect on their options, tour schools and relax, instead of scrambling to finish an application at the beginning of the new year.

However, the timing of many university’s admissions decisions have left me feeling overwhelmed and anxious. Over the course of now until break, I have a total of five college admissions decisions to receive, and it’s left me worrying about various statuses of applications.

In addition, the week before break is already stressful, with various tests, projects and other assignments due before the end of the year. Five decisions from schools of different levels coming out within the span of a week is overwhelming, and certainly doesn’t help ease the pressures I already face at school.

While I’m glad that I’m getting my admissions decisions out of the way, it’s definitely added a lot of stress to the holiday season. I haven’t been able to spend as much time with my family and friends enjoying holiday traditions because I’ve been working on scholarship applications and stressing about admissions decisions.