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College Admissions: A Marathon, Not a Sprint

In the high-stakes world of college admissions, too many students and parents fall into the trap of viewing the process as a frantic senior-year dash to the finish line. They cram test prep, hastily join clubs, and scramble to find meaningful experiences — all while trying to craft the perfect application essays under immense pressure. Pivoting the mindset to seeing this process as a multiple-year endeavor allows students to craft an application “story” that showcases their strengths, talents, and interests.

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The most successful college applicants understand a fundamental truth: getting into your dream school is much more like training for a marathon than sprinting to meet application deadlines. It's a methodical, four-year journey that requires patience, consistent effort, and strategic planning. Having the ability to apply Early Action has yielded the best results for students in recent years. Prolonging the application process to Regular Decision leads to more disappointments and a longer wait-time, which only exacerbates student anxiety during senior year. Let's explore why this marathon mindset is not only more effective but also healthier for students aiming for college success.

 

The Sprint Mentality: Why It Fails Students

The "sprint approach" to college admissions typically looks something like this: a student coasts through freshman, sophomore, and junior years focusing primarily on grades, perhaps participating in a few activities without much depth. Then senior year arrives, bringing panic as they realize college applications require evidence of leadership, meaningful experiences, and a coherent personal narrative.

This last-minute rush creates several problems:

  1. Thin extracurricular profiles: Activities joined senior year appear opportunistic to admissions officers who value sustained commitment.
  2. Stress and burnout: Cramming SAT/ACT prep, college visits, and application essays into a few months is emotionally exhausting.
  3. Missed opportunities: Many prestigious programs, summer experiences, and leadership positions require years of prior involvement.
  4. Inauthentic applications: Rushed essays often lack the depth of reflection that comes from genuine, long-term experiences.

College admissions officers can spot these "sprinters" from miles away. Their applications often feel disjointed, lacking the coherent story that comes from thoughtful, long-term planning.

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The Marathon Approach: Four Years of Intentional Preparation

Marathon runners don't decide to run 26.2 miles a week before the race. They follow training plans that span months, gradually building endurance, strength, and mental fortitude. Similarly, the college admissions process rewards those who take a deliberate, four-year approach:

Freshman Year: Building Your Foundation

Just as marathon training begins with establishing base fitness, freshman year is about building academic foundations and exploring interests:

  1. Focus on developing strong study habits and academic skills.
  2. Try various extracurricular activities to discover genuine interests.
  3. Begin building relationships with teachers and mentors.
  4. Research potential career paths and college majors without pressure to commit.
  5. Explore summer opportunities for the following years.

 

Sophomore Year: Finding Your Stride

By sophomore year, marathon runners settle into their training rhythm, and college-bound students should similarly find their academic and extracurricular focus:

  1. Begin specializing in activities where you've found genuine interest.
  2. Take on small leadership roles or increased responsibility.
  3. Consider how your course selection aligns with potential college majors.
  4. Research summer programs, internships, or experiences related to your interests.
  5. Begin visiting local colleges to get a feel for different campus environments.

This is the year to prune activities that don't resonate with you and deepen your commitment to those that do. Quality over quantity becomes increasingly important.

 

Junior Year: Building Endurance

Marathon runners increase their mileage during the heart of training, and junior year similarly requires increased intensity:

  1. Take the most challenging course load you can handle successfully.
  2. Assume more significant leadership positions in your key activities.
  3. Prepare for and take standardized tests (with time for retakes if needed).
  4. Research colleges more seriously, developing a balanced list of reach, match, and safety schools.
  5. Plan meaningful summer experiences before senior year.
  6. Begin building relationships with teachers who might write recommendation letters.

This crucial year demonstrates your ability to handle academic rigor while maintaining extracurricular excellence — exactly what selective colleges look for.

Senior Year: The Final Push

Even in a marathon's final miles, success depends on the training that came before. Senior year is about executing the plan you've developed, not starting from scratch:

  1. Submit polished applications that reflect your four-year journey.
  2. Maintain academic excellence (colleges notice "senioritis").
  3. Continue leadership in your key activities, ideally making a lasting impact.
  4. Manage application deadlines with reduced stress thanks to prior preparation.
  5. Make final college visits and decisions with confidence.

With proper preparation, senior year becomes a celebration of your accomplishments rather than a desperate scramble to appear accomplished.

 

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The Benefits Beyond Admissions

The marathon approach to college preparation yields benefits far beyond simply getting accepted:

1. Authentic Personal Growth

When students engage in activities over multiple years out of genuine interest rather than resume-building, they develop authentic skills and passions. These become the foundation for meaningful college essays that truly reflect who they are rather than who they think colleges want them to be.

2. Reduced Stress and Anxiety

By spreading college preparation across four years, students avoid the extreme pressure that comes from cramming everything into senior fall. This more balanced approach protects mental health during an already challenging time.

3. Better College Matches

The self-knowledge that comes from years of exploration helps students identify colleges that truly fit their needs, interests, and learning styles — leading to higher satisfaction and lower transfer rates once enrolled.

4. Development of Life Skills

The marathon approach requires planning, time management, resilience, and self-awareness — skills that prove valuable not just for college admissions but throughout college and career.

5. More Impressive Accomplishments

Simply put, what you can achieve over four years far exceeds what you can accomplish in a few months. Colleges notice the difference between students who have made sustained impacts in their schools and communities versus those who joined clubs just in time to list them on applications.

 



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Practical Tips for the Marathon Mindset

If you're convinced that the marathon approach makes sense, here are practical steps for each stage of high school:

For Students Just Starting High School:

  1. Focus on academic foundations — strong study habits matter more than perfect grades early on.
  2. Try a variety of activities without worrying about "what colleges want."
  3. Keep a simple journal of your experiences and reflections (this becomes gold for essays later).
  4. Read widely beyond assigned schoolwork.
  5. Begin developing relationships with teachers and counselors.

For Midway Runners (Sophomores/Juniors):

  1. Identify 2-3 key activities where you can develop depth and leadership.
  2. Challenge yourself academically in subjects you enjoy.
  3. Consider how summer experiences can build on your school-year activities.
  4. Take standardized tests with time for retakes if needed.
  5. Research colleges based on fit rather than just prestige.
  6. Begin visiting campuses and talking to current students.

For Seniors Already in Sprint Mode:

  1. Don't panic — focus on quality over quantity in your remaining time.
  2. Highlight the depth of your existing commitments rather than joining new activities.
  3. Be authentic in your essays about your journey, including late realizations.
  4. Seek out meaningful ways to contribute to organizations you're already part of.
  5. Consider gap year options if you feel you'd benefit from more preparation time.

 

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Conclusion: Embracing the Distance

The sprint approach to college admissions leaves students exhausted, stressed, and often disappointed with the results. The marathon mindset — methodical preparation across all four years of high school — not only improves admissions outcomes but also fosters genuine personal growth.

If you're a student, remember that your college journey isn't about frantically checking boxes at the last minute. It's about deliberately developing your interests, abilities, and character over time. The most compelling college applications don't come from frantic senior-year activity but from authentic stories of growth that can only unfold over years.

Parents and educators can support this marathon approach by emphasizing long-term development over short-term achievements and helping students understand that the college admissions process is merely one milestone in a lifelong journey of learning.

Like the marathon runner who crosses the finish line through months of dedicated training, the student who approaches college admissions as a four-year process earns not just an acceptance letter but also the confidence, skills, and self-knowledge that will serve them throughout college and beyond.

Because ultimately, the real finish line isn't college acceptance — it's the fulfilling life and career that a well-chosen college education helps make possible.

 

Amy Schwan is the Associate Director of College Counseling at Mount Paran Christian School. 
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