The College Admissions Rollercoaster: Managing Emotions and Expectations
The college admissions process can feel like a whirlwind of stress, emotions, and endless comparisons, but does it have to? In this episode, Andrea Hecht sits down with Kelly Levi, a college admissions expert and mom of three, to unpack the emotional side of navigating college applications.
From the pressures amplified by social media to the rising number of applications brought on by test-optional policies, Kelly explains why today’s admissions process feels more overwhelming than ever. She shares practical tips for parents to stay supportive without adding unnecessary pressure—like using digital tools for communication and setting clear boundaries to manage expectations.
What if we reframed the college admissions journey as a chance for students to discover their strengths and families to grow closer? Kelly and Andrea explore this perspective, and offer strategies to focus on progress, celebrate milestones, and approach each step with intention.
This episode serves as a guide for parents looking to balance their own emotions while empowering their kids to embrace this transformative chapter with confidence.
Quotes
“Focus on what you can do. Focus on your academic performance, your story, and we can talk about that and what that means. And embrace your friends and try to get through it together. Because pinning yourself against someone else is not gonna help anything.” (13:18 | Kelly Levi)
“Instead of making it a competition, make it a celebration. Make it a celebration of this chapter of your life and this excitement. Again, you can control if you want to make it a miserable experience and add to the stress, or are we gonna make this as positive of an experience?” (14:44 | Andrea Hecht)
“The whole point is that we’re here as parents to guide our kids and to support them. We only want to see the best for our kids in any of it. But what our best support looks like and what we think it might need to be could be completely different than what your child really wants.” (20:58 | Andrea Hecht)
“When a rejection comes, it stings and it’s yucky, and it’s okay to feel crappy about it, but know that it will be okay.” (38:14 | Kelly Levi)
“Plan ahead. I think that takes so much of the stress out of it. And obviously knowing when your due dates are is important, but having someone, and that does not have to be mom or dad, having someone kind of oversee those due dates from afar is really helpful.” (57:19 | Kelly Levi)
Links
Connect with Kelly Levi:
The Write Stop http://www.thewritestopwithkelly.com
Instagram:@kellykoeniglevi
Have specific questions you’d like to ask Kelly, email her at kelly@thewritestopwithkelly.com
Connect with your host, Andrea Hecht:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fullyinformedlifecoaching
Website: https://www.fullyinformedlife.com
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