In the past months, you spent countless hours envisioning your dream college, you poured your heart out in your personal essays, and you encapsulated in two lines each activity you’ve devoted so much time to, even though you could have used a paragraph. Well done. You are now finally done with the crazy marathon that is the college application process. Take time to let that sink in, because you should feel so incredibly proud of yourself.

Pressing that “submit” button probably felt both wonderfully refreshing and very scary. You’ve thought so much about where you hope to end up and how to get there. The time between now and the day you receive your results may feel like a never-ending wait. However, regardless of what the decisions are, some Harvard freshmen shared some thoughts on what to keep in mind:

YingYing Shang ’17, says: “Think bigger in terms of what you want to do in college rather than which college you want to do them at. When you have excitement and passion for the rest of your life and aren’t too dependent on the location you’re going to be doing them at, you’ll be more at peace and enthusiastic no matter where you end up.”

Daniel Wang ‘17 agrees: “You’ve put in all the time and hard work. Now it’s time to relax and enjoy the rest of your high school experience. Your college experience is what you make of it, and not necessarily where you go.”

You only have a few more months of high school left. Cherish it, because these are your last four months of having your friends in one place every day, of being part of a community that has shaped who you are, and of being a kid.

Jason Mahr ’17, says: “Don't worry yourself about colleges, focus instead on enjoying senior year and spending more time with friends. You only get to be a second-semester [high school] senior once. Make the most of it.”

Connor J.H. Bitter ’17 has this message for you: “Enjoy the freedom that comes with being done your applications. Take your mind off of college for a bit and enjoy your senior year. Decisions will come either way, but the last half of your final year with many of your friends only comes once."

And most importantly, feel proud of yourself. You have tried your absolute best, and that is really what matters.

Raul E. Jordan ’17, says: “Feel accomplished because you have made it this far, and no matter what happens, every result in march will be a product of your hard work. Feel reassured that your work will always pay off.”

Kamara A. Swaby ’17, agrees: “Applying to college is always a nerve-wracking process so you should be proud of what you accomplished so far. My best advice is not let the thoughts of the decision rule your life. It's okay to be a little nervous about it but also try to pay attention to all other facets of your life. By keeping your mind not only focused on your application you get to relax a little and you get to free yourself to work on other things. By doing this, the time between now and when the results come in seems shorter. The hard work you put into your application will not go unnoticed and will surely benefit you in the long run.”

A huge congratulations for finishing your college applications. Rest assured that no matter where you go, you will become who you choose to become, and have an amazing college experience. For now, enjoy your last precious months of high school. And most importantly, be proud and confident in the wonderful person you will be presenting to admissions officers. You have worked so hard, and it is now time to give yourself the break you so deserve. Well done.