High school class of 2018 wishes it hadn't stressed so much over college applications

NEW YORK, July 10, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Everyone wishes they worried less, even high school students. In a College Board and Seventeen magazine survey, 70% of students from the high school class of 2018 said they were stressed during the college application process—but after it was all done, 68% said they also wished they had worried less.

In one of the largest nationwide surveys of high school students to date, the College Board and Seventeen uncovered what the high school graduating class of 2018 really felt about the college application process and how they feel about heading to college this fall. Close to 100,000 students completed the survey.

ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS
When it came to applying to college, 39% of students said the process always felt stressful, another 31% said they were often stressed, and just 14% always felt confident about the process. In hindsight, 70% wished they'd sought more advice about the process and 65% said they wish they had spent more time on their applications. 

ON LEAVING HIGH SCHOOL
Most students agreed on one thing: 90% said they were glad high school was over, yet 68% said they'll miss it. One thing they won't miss—59% said teachers at their school sometimes or frequently gave higher grades to students than they deserved.

ON PREPARING FOR THE SAT
This graduating class took the SAT^® seriously. Close to 70% said they practiced for it, and of those students, 54% did so on Official SAT Practice, a free, personalized SAT practice online tool created by the College Board and Khan Academy^®.

ON AP COURSES
One reason many students felt prepared for college: Advanced Placement^® courses. Sixty percent of students said they took at least one AP^® course in high school, and of those, 75% believe AP helped ready them for college.

ON FEELING NERVOUS ABOUT COLLEGE
Many students said they were ready to go away to college but worried about college academics and how to manage finances. Seventy-nine percent of the high school class of 2018 felt emotionally ready to live away from home, yet only 49% feel academically prepared to go to college. While 37% of students were excited about gaining more independence, 40% ranked finances as their top concern, higher than worries about academics (22%) or their social lives (16%). 

ON FINDING A SUPPORT SYSTEM
Where will grads find emotional support? While students mostly relied on their parents in high school, in college they'll turn to friends. But parents shouldn't be concerned—70% of students said they would still seek emotional support from their parents.  

ON THE VALUE OF A COLLEGE DEGREE
Students who completed the survey strongly believe that getting a college degree is worth the effort and expense. Over 90% of those who plan to attend a four-year college agree that a bachelor's degree is critical to their future success, and that they're more likely to get the job they want because they have a degree.

ON THE MOST DESIRABLE MAJORS
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are a hit with this class. When we asked students what they wanted to pursue in the future, majors and careers in the STEM fields were among the most commonly selected.

About the College Board
The College Board is a not-for-profit organization instrumental in almost every U.S. high school student's life through programs like the SAT^® and Advanced Placement^®. It also provides free, personalized SAT test preparation, free college planning resources, and connects students to over $240 million in scholarships. For further information, visit collegeboard.org.

About Seventeen Magazine
For more than 70 years, Seventeen (www.seventeen.com) has helped generations of girls navigate the tricky terrain of adolescence, giving them the confidence they need to become strong, self-assured young women. Never losing sight of the importance of delivering her world her way, Seventeen connects with 20 million readers via print, digital, and social, through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Seventeen is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst, one of the nation's largest diversified media, information, and services companies. With 25 titles in the U.S., Hearst is the largest publisher of monthly magazines, with a total paid circulation of over 36 million (AAM 1H 2017). Hearst Magazines' print and digital assets reach nearly 137 million readers and site visitors each month—more than two-thirds of all women and millennial women in the country (source: 2017 comScore Multi-Platform/MRI 09-17/S17). Hearst Digital Media has 143 million followers across social. Follow Seventeen on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

SOURCE The College Board

Related Links

www.collegeboard.org