Message

Dear Student:

When I was going through high school and worried about grades and big exams, my father would always say, “Just do your best.” If you are as fortunate as I was to have such a supportive parent endowed with the wisdom that effort, not results, should be the focus, then you will be able to handle the stress of applying to college with the right mindset. This mindset will actively drive you to embrace the application process fully yet flexibly, on your own terms yet with an open mind, optimistically yet with reasonable expectations.

I understand the anxiety, the desire for validation that all the hard work in high school was worth it, the human yearning to feel that there is justice in life. As your parents may tell you, life isn’t always fair. Your parents, or any other caring adult close to you, will also tell you that no matter where you are accepted, things will work out fine in the end. If you concentrate on the process of applying to schools, this will be a true statement. There’s a feeling of inner calm and pride that arises when you know that you’ve tried your best. Let this be your goal when you approach college application season.

Evan Ho