Why You Must Stay Motivated Even After Being Accepted Early

Why You Must Stay Motivated Even After Being Accepted Early

Congratulations! You received an early holiday present. The school of your choice admitted you early action or—even more conclusively—early decision and now you can start shopping for sweatshirts and other college swag. It may be tempting at this point to take your foot off the academic or extracurricular gas pedal. After all, you've worked hard all the way through high school and you've already updated your Facebook status with your new school's information.But before you relax too much and let the allure of senioritis lull you into complacency, remember that your grades and your contributions outside of the classroom are still very important. Now is not the time to ease up; it's time to push hard to the finish line. Let's take a look at several of the major reasons why you need to keep your motivation high even after you've already been admitted to college. 

Because Your Admissions Decision Isn't Final Until Your Transcript Is Final 

Even though you now have that nice acceptance letter from the school of your choice, the process isn't quite over. Your admission to college is contingent upon your successful completion of high school. If you lose motivation and allow your classroom performance to slip, you may jeopardize your place in the incoming freshman class. In my years as both an admissions officer and high school college counselor, I've worked with students who received this unfortunate news because of poor choices they made, including issues of academic integrity and apathy. Typically, by the time a college chooses to rescind an admissions offer, that student has already withdrawn their application from other schools that may have accepted him or her, leaving few options for the fall. Some schools require students whose grades have slipped to attend summer classes, take lower level courses upon arrival, begin their college career on academic probation, or explain in writing the circumstances surrounding the change in grades. All of those outcomes are less than ideal. Does this mean that you aren't allowed to get a B? Of course not! You're not expected to be perfect, but admissions officers do expect that you will be the same committed student after they've accepted you as you were before. They want to know that they've selected the best possible class for their college, and your continued success is their proof. 

Because Your Activities Still Matter

One of my least favorite questions to be asked by any student is, "Will this look good on my college applications?" No matter what activity or experience he or she is referring to, this question undermines the true reason why one should pursue an activity: because it's meaningful, personally rewarding, and adds value to a community. If you're only pursuing the activities on your list or taking the courses you are because you think they'll give you an advantage over your peers, it will be easier to disengage from them. But if you've invested your time into experiences that speak to your passions, it should be harder for you to neglect them.Remember, even though your college process is done, the impact you can make on others' lives is not over. Think about the younger high school students who look to your leadership for an example of how they should conduct themselves. Think about the constituents your club helps—the youth who need strong tutors and role models, your teammates on the soccer club battling for a playoff berth, the beaches and parks that need volunteers to keep them beautiful. Your effort still matters in these situations even if there is no tangible reward or recognition to be gained for you. Just because you've accomplished this wonderful milestone, don't lose sight of the reasons why you have chosen the path that you walk and keep your motivation to succeed high. 

Because You Are a Finisher

Motivation is as much, if not more, about character as it is about ability. It's important to continue giving your best effort in and out of the classroom because it helps you establish strong habits that lead to future achievement. Successful people finish strong what they start.Imagine training for and running a marathon. You spend countless hours running endless miles, religiously uphold your diet and sleep schedule, and get yourself in the best shape possible. On race day, you're in such a zone that you are well on your way to setting a personal record. The crowd cheers you on and, just as you get to those last .2 miles, you decide you've done enough and moonwalk to the finish line—just missing out on a record pace and confusing the onlookers who've been supporting you. If that sounds silly to you (and it should), hopefully you make the connection between this marathon and the academic marathon you've been running your entire high school career. You could moonwalk to graduation; but that's not a winning recipe. Staying motivated even after you've been accepted to your early action or early decision college is a daily choice that the most successful seniors make. Use the built-in breaks in your schedule to recharge your battery, but don't coast to the finish line. End your high school career with the same pride and determination you showed to get into college. Not only will you be able to look back and appreciate your effort, but you'll also position yourself to start your college career on a good note. The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.Ready to get started? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute conversation today!Want to stay informed? Subscribe to our newsletter.See what others are saying about us