Walden Pond and the College Search Process

A few weeks ago, I visited Walden Pond for the second time. In my freshman year at Tufts, I took Environmental Geology, so my classmates and I scaled the rock formations and discussed the impact of industrialization and encroachment on Henry David Thoreau’s former home.

Currently, I am enrolled in Boston Radicals, an English class devoted to the long tradition of activist writing in the New England area. We read Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and “Walden Pond” and made a Sunday morning trek to Walden.A winter storm had blanketed the pond with snow, and my friends and I were able to walk out across the frozen waters and enjoy the tranquil scene. As rough as it was for me to wake up at 9:30 on a weekend morning, I’m glad I took the time to revisit a historic site that has become synonymous with contemplation and solace.

While at Walden, Thoreau wrote, “Our life is frittered away by detail. . . . Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!” Whether you’re a senior in high school and waiting to hear back from the institutions to which you applied, or a sophomore or junior embarking on the torturous college search process, it’s critical to your sanity that you take a step back and breathe. Picking your future college is stressful, and, unfortunately, the influence of parents, teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, and so-called college “guidebooks” can sometimes further compound students’ anxieties.At the end of the day, trust your own intuition and try not to base your self-worth on a single application or decision. You are so much more than a SAT number or AP score. As Thoreau noted, “Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate.” Admissions officers pass judgment on words and numbers in manila folders—not on individuals. If you have something unique to offer the world, it will become apparent in some form no matter which institution’s name is stamped on your college diploma.As you navigate the murky waters of your junior and senior years, stay connected to friends and family members. Find healthy outlets for your academic stress. (I’m not advocating that everyone should build a one-room shed in the middle of the forest like Thoreau, but, hey, whatever floats your boat!)

Admissions Counselor Jon Godsey advocates “yoga, meditation, and scented candles” to survive the competitive application process. In his information sessions, Assistant Director of Admissions Davin Bergquist encourages high school students, “If all else fails, take deep, cleansing breaths!” I think Thoreau would agree.