From October through December, seniors were slaving away at their college applications. Almost every conversation eventually brought up the subject, and almost every conversation would display the growing anxiety as due dates got closer. Nothing felt more gratifying than seeing the confirmation email from a college saying coldly, “We look forward to reviewing your application.” People’s thoughts would then turn back to enjoying senior year.

Some time passes, and something changes on campus. People swap out their generic college sweatshirts from local or Ivy League schools for new sweatshirts from schools you did not even know existed. People start talking about college meal plans, college dorm rooms, college classes, and college parties. After these observations, the realization that you have not heard back from any colleges, let alone decided where to go, hits you in the pit of your stomach.

Your initial reaction is probably the most rational. You will think “They probably have not looked at my application yet” or “They probably send out all of the decisions at one time.” But then, something bad starts to happen. You start to think about all of the possible scenarios in which you do not get an acceptance. You think of every possible thing that could have gone wrong.

The conspiracies range from thinking you accidently deleted the email to thinking your mailman is hoarding your mail. Anxiety starts to set in as you begin to worry about your encroaching future. People, trying to make small talk, will ask where you got in. Your answer that you have not heard back from anywhere will prompt replies like “Oh, that’s okay” or “I’m sorry, you’ll probably get in somewhere” in what feels like the most condescending tone ever.

But before you start franticly refreshing your unreliable email, confronting your scheming mailman, and icing out all of your college-bound friends, you should probably try to gain a bit of perspective. Most schools don’t send out decisions until mid to late March unless you applied under early action or early decision plans. You probably are good enough for most of the schools you applied to – hence why you would have applied. Whether or not a school has responded to your application yet offers no indication of your competence.

Colleges require that you decide where to go by May 1st, so whether or not you know what your options are now, in mid-March, is unimportant. In the meantime, try living in the moment instead of thinking of the future. You’re a senior, and you’ve spent the last three years waiting to be one. Patience will get you through the wait. The only thing more gratifying than getting through the applications is getting an acceptance letter.

And on the chance that you get rejected by your first choice, it’s important to remember one thing: It’s not the end of the world. If that school didn’t want you, you don’t want them either! You deserve to go to a school that recognizes your talent, potential, and worth. It is in that environment that you will ultimately be the happiest.