Do all your homework. Score perfect grades on tests. Ace your essays. Make the varsity team. Complete your community service hours. Spend time with your family. Go for leadership positions. Have hobbies that look good on your college applications. 

We know you have A LOT on your plate. It can feel like you have pressure on you coming from every direction…because you do. People’s expectations for you in high school are high, and you may even feel that you’re not in control of your own life. 

This is not just normal—it’s pretty much universal. Feeling overwhelmed is a natural response to all the things that are being asked of you.

We have some thoughts about how to keep yourself sane during this stressful time in your life. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, but maybe some of these ideas will help you stay balanced and care for your mental health. 

• Know who you can trust. Find a safe person, or people, you can rely on. This could be your parents, but it could also be your coach, counselor, or favorite teacher. Whether you are seeking some solid advice or simply an empathetic ear to vent to, it’s important you don’t feel like you’re in it alone. 
• If you can, get some backup from the pros. We know it’s not an option that’s accessible for everyone, but if you have the resources, professional counseling can be hugely beneficial. Professional counselors and therapists’ full-time job is to listen to you, support you, and give you unbiased advice. They can give you real strategies to cope with everything: stress, low self-esteem, lack of organization, ADHD, and pretty much anything else you can think of. 
• Stay grounded. It’s easier said than done, but try to keep your perspective. One bad day, one failed test, is not going to tank your entire future. You’re supposed to make mistakes right now, and no one expects you to be perfect (no matter how much it may feel that way sometimes). Remind yourself that you only have to take things one step, and one day, at a time. 
• Do something other than school and work—and don’t feel guilty about it! Sure, you need to be “productive” sometimes. But you also need to rest. Your free time is not just time where you’re not studying or working; it’s where you get to be yourself, and it’s an important part of becoming who you’re meant to be. While self-care may look different from person to person,it’s a non-negotiable for everyone.  

Try to remember that everyone who is now setting high expectations for you was once in your shoes, and they made it through. Your feelings are valid and justified, but they’re also not going to last forever. If you can support yourself and lean on others through tough times, you’ll build skills that will last you a lifetime.

Your school, like most, probably has some kind of service requirements to graduate. Many have a specific number of hours of service you have to complete. And on top of that, we know you’re looking for more ways to show colleges you care about giving back to your community. 

But if your school doesn’t provide those service opportunities for you—or even if they do—where do you start?!? 

Here are some sites we love that can help you locate opportunities near you: 

• VolunteerMatch. (We particularly love this one because you can filter by location AND by area of interest.)
• Engage
• JustServe
• United Way 
• DoSomething
• Habitat for Humanity
• Give Pulse
• Feeding America 

And don’t forget to take advantage of the resources available to you at school. We’re willing to bet that a visit to the counselor’s office will open your eyes to tons of service opportunities you didn’t even know were available, right in your own backyard! 

We also have some recommendations and best practices for community engagement that feels good, looks good, and checks all the boxes. 

1. 1. Do something you actually like to do. Love working with your hands? Find a gardening or community cleanup project. You’re a foodie? Connect with a local food bank, soup kitchen, or community fridge. Bookworm? Find an organization that promotes literacy for kids or adults. Animal lover? Call the nearby veterinarian’s office and see if they need any helping hands.
   2. Try to align your service work with your future goals. If you don’t know what you’re going to study in school or do with the rest of your life, you’re in good company, don’t worry! You can keep your community service open-ended. But if you have a sense of your future career, volunteer your time in that field if you can. If you’re hoping to get into education, tutor local kids. If science is your jam, find an environmental advocacy group that’s looking for volunteers.
   3. Make personal connections. References and networking are two extremely important pieces of not just your resume, but your future career. Keeping in contact with your supervisor or peer when you complete your community service requirements is not only a great way to get more out of your time there, but could help you down the road by writing a letter of reference or making an introduction that lands you that awesome internship. 

Yes, we know community service is something you have to check off the list. But you can make it meaningful, too. It’s a great opportunity not just to beef up your resume, but to get some real satisfaction and joy from being able to help others and make an impact on your community!

Do well in school, go to a good college, study something useful, graduate and get a good job,  make lots of money. Sound familiar? Sure, this narrative might have evolved over the years, but it’s probably what you’ve been hearing your whole life so far. 

We’re here to tell you: it’s not that simple (and that’s a good thing!). 

One part of your success in college and your subsequent career is picking a major. It’s a stressor for many juniors and seniors, because it feels like this choice will dictate what career path you take—aka the rest of your life. People who don’t know exactly what they want to study may end up feeling lost or anxious. 

If that’s you, or even if you’ve got an idea of the direction you want to go, we hope some of these tips and guidelines will be helpful in choosing a major that sets you up for success. 

• Understand admissions. Nowadays, most colleges don’t require you to declare a major during the application process. Since you’ll have “gen ed” (basic core classes like math, English, foreign language, etc.) courses to knock out, you most likely won’t be taking courses in your major in your first semester, or maybe even your freshman year. 
  That said, some majors have a lot of credit hours needed (in other words, you have to take a lot of courses in your major relative to other subjects), so you might need to apply into that program. Super-competitive engineering or nursing programs are examples of that. They tend to be more selective than general admissions, but if accepted, you’ll have a great head start on your years in college. Do your homework on prospective colleges’ websites to be sure what’s expected of you as you apply. 

• Play to your strengths. It seems obvious, but you should choose a major that you think you’ll thrive in. This doesn’t mean that if you struggle in a certain subject, but you’re passionate about it, that you can’t choose that major. It just means you’ll have to do a little more outside the classroom. Picking a subject where you’ve historically done well will also mean you’re going into your major with some exposure to the subjects you’ll be studying. 

• Pick something you’ll enjoy (at least a little!). It is super tempting to pick your major based on: will my parents approve? Is it “practical” for my future job search? Is it a career where I’ll make a lot of money? These are great questions and absolutely factors for consideration. However… Four years is a long time to study something you think is a drag. If you choose based on practicality alone, you might find it really difficult to do well in your studies, because you’re just not passionate about the subject. 

• Know you won’t be doing this 24/7. Typically, colleges require somewhere around 120 hours for a Bachelor’s degree. That shakes out to about 15 credit hours, or 5 courses, per semester. Your major is almost always less than 100 hours—some could be as few as 60 or 70. That means you’ll have plenty of time to take courses outside your discipline, to pursue a minor/concentration, or to do some independent research. 

• Consult your resources. Talk to adults you trust, in and out of school. College counselors and, once you’re in school, academic or professional advisors have been around the block; they can provide great advice based on what they’ve seen throughout the years and based on your unique situation. 

You don’t have to know right now. When you’re in the thick of admissions, it feels like everyone knows exactly what they want to do except you. But, according to CollegeRaptor, most students don’t declare their major until sophomore year. You are allowed to step back and take your time to figure out what’s best for you.

When you apply to college, there are a number of factors schools consider, ranging from the essay to standardized test scores, and even your extracurricular activities. One thing they will look at is your transcript—but maybe not for the reasons you think. 

Sure, having a high GPA is great. However, it’s not that simple. Most schools have some kind of system to determine not just your GPA, but the rigor of your courses. For example, a B in AP Statistics might be considered the same as an A in regular statistics. That’s because colleges know how much work goes into more difficult classes. 

So what does that mean for you? There will always be classes that aren’t quite as meaningful. Colleges would rather you have a lower GPA if they can see that you chose to push yourself by taking rigorous courses. 

• Align enrollment with your future major. If you know you want to apply for an engineering college, focus on physics and science. If English is your jam, try a creative writing class. (Side note: It is MORE THAN OKAY if you don’t know what your major is yet! Most freshmen go in undecided, and many change their majors in the first two years of school. Stay open-minded and try some different things to see what you like.) 
• Show your range. If you’re a math lover, you probably want to pack your schedule with calculus and statistics. And that’s amazing! But you also want to show that you’re open to learning about other subjects, too. Try psychology, or an arts class. 
• Take AP and IB courses if they are offered at your school. Yeah, these classes can be harder—but if you take the AP exam at the end of the semester, oftentimes, you can actually get college credit and skip some of those gen-eds your freshman year! 
• Pick courses that interest you. You don’t want to spend a semester completely miserable just for the sake of looking good on a piece of paper. We know school isn’t always fun—but you can still find something cool and interesting in each class you take. 
• Find the balance. Don’t weigh yourself down with 4 APs in one semester. Not only will your grades suffer, but your mental health will, too. At the end of the day, you’re a teenager—you’ll make mistakes, you’ll excel, you’ll fail and you’ll succeed. And that’s what high school is all about. 

Above all, remember that one “bad” grade will not ruin your life. Taking a photography course instead of AP Physics won’t make the difference between your dream future and a disappointing life. Try and keep your perspective, and lean on the people around you—your parents, your guidance counselors—for help.

The letter of recommendation is an important part of your college application—but it can be a little intimidating. It’s normal to feel anxious when asking your teachers for help. So we’ve put together some tips for how to go about requesting a letter of recommendation that will wow the admissions committee and represent you in the best possible light. 

1. How should I choose what teachers to ask? Of course, you want to ask someone who will have glowing praise for you. However, not all LORs are created equal. While it’s great to have a family friend or soccer coach’s endorsement, letters are weighted more heavily by admissions when they come from a core subject instructor—math, science, English, computer science, etc. Perhaps you will want to choose an instructor in a subject that relates to your future major. Another good choice would be to choose a teacher who watched you improve, not necessarily one where you had a stellar academic performance. For example, maybe you didn’t get a high A in Calculus but you brought your grade up from a C- to B+ over the course of a semester. Your teacher will be able to share how your hard work paid off. This kind of effort will impress those reading the letter, since that kind of work ethic shows you will be a successful college student. 
2. How do I actually ask? If you feel comfortable asking in person, this is the best way to go. Teachers are asked to write letters of recommendation every year, so they will not be surprised or inconvenienced by the request. While you may give them a small token of thanks—an easy one might be a gift card in a small amount to their favorite coffee shop—it’s not necessary. In fact, in most cases, teachers are flattered to be asked and will enjoy writing about you. If you can’t make it in person, you can also request the letter in an email to your teacher.
3. I have no control over what they say in the letter, right? Not true! In fact, it is a great idea to provide a starting point when you request your teacher to write a letter of recommendation. In addition to giving them some material so they don’t have to start from scratch, you can explain the traits you are looking to emphasize in your application. For example, maybe you want to focus on service and community engagement in your essays; let them know this is a theme you’ll be writing about so they can weave it into the letter. You could also provide a short list of your activities or standout achievements, in case they want to write about your strengths outside the classroom. 
4. Anything else I need to know? Request your letter EARLY. The last thing you want is to request your teacher’s time and energy, only to put them on a one- or two-week deadline. If you read our past post about organizing applications, you know the importance of working backwards from important deadlines. If possible, give your teacher at least a month from the priority or scholarship deadline. Equally important is doing as much preparation as possible to help your teacher submit the letter. Generally, in the college admissions process, students are not allowed to send (or in many cases, even read) their letter of recommendation themselves. Therefore, you need to make sure your teacher understands how to submit the letter to admissions offices. Give them the complete list of schools and provide the mailing or login information they need. The Common Application has its own recommender login, so you’ll only need to send your teacher a link to invite them to complete the application. However, every school is different, so as always—be sure to read carefully! 

While it is a critical part of a strong application, the letter of recommendation does not need to cause stress and anxiety. It’s a great way to showcase your amazing achievements from the perspective of someone who watched you learn and grow firsthand. Above all, know that teachers are happy to help, and they want to make a difference in your future! 

Did you know that the Academy can also write letters of recommendation? If you attended the Congress, just request your LOR at admissions@futuredocs.com or call 617-307-7425. We will be honored to help you on your journey in higher education.