By Isabella Purdy and Jennifer Trend
On Oct. 11, 2017, sophomores and juniors alike took the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), and most checked off the box which allowed colleges to contact them, not thinking much of it. Unbeknownst to them, in a few months, they would be hoarded with emails and letters from nearby and out of state colleges hoping to add the student to their ranks. But is now the right time to start looking at colleges and should there be so much pressure from the schools?
High school is a time to learn, grow and most importantly get ready for life after graduation, whether that is college, work, military or gap year. For juniors, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about college or the future, but for sophomores, not so much.
The P in PSAT stands for preliminary, hinting that it’s not the real thing, just something that gets you ready for the actual test. So why should colleges start bombarding you with letters and emails if you checked a box on a preliminary test?
The letters all have three things in common: they want you to come to their school, offer free guides or quizzes that could help you make your decisions in the future (as if someone or something could tell you where you’re going to end up) and say you are very talented and smart— which all means that their school is the only and best choice for you.
Junior year is the year when students start to think about what they want to major in, what school they want to attend or the future in general. Yes, it doesn’t hurt to start looking at possible colleges or understand where your strengths are or what you like to do academic-wise, but you definitely should not feel any pressure to start looking into schools.
But, is it too early to start thinking about college? High school is already very stressful for students, and thoughts on college can further add to the pressure that students have in their lives and busy schedules. Once again, you shouldn’t feel any pressure whatsoever to start looking at schools.
So, should colleges hold it back a year and send emails to juniors instead of sophomores? The juniors are the ones who are thinking about what their major is and what schools they would like to attend. Sophomores shouldn’t be forced to think about what they would like to do for the rest of their lives, and sophomores should also be able to think of other things besides just college.
One to three emails a week would be enough to get information about colleges, without spamming your inbox. Getting daily emails is frustrating and can feel overwhelming. Save the daily emails for things you really enjoy, like your favorite store or emails from your friends.
Should you start thinking about what subject you can major in the future? Sometimes, it can be fun to imagine what your dream job would be or what you might enjoy in life. But, don’t overdo it. Picture the adults who thought they liked something and ended up despising their jobs. Sometimes, what you think you like might be very different once you actually get your first job and realize that this isn’t what you wanted to do, which is completely okay. Remember there’s no pressure and there shouldn’t be!
