December on the North Shore is filled with the soft glow of tree lights, the warm smell of hot chocolate and the comfort of a familiar Hallmark movie. Snow begins to line Sheridan road, and holiday music gets students through the final push to school each morning. The crisp air is familiar, and students prepare to settle into a much needed winter break. 

For many senior Trevians, though, December brings something new: the single most stressful moment of the year. 

A wave of college decisions are here. 

While some of these decisions are for early action or rolling admission schools, a vast majority of the December anticipation comes from the built up stress of Early Decision (ED) applications. A binding process, students typically receive a decision before the holiday break and are required to withdraw all other applications if admitted. There are 32 ED universities, including Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, that are currently undergoing a lawsuit for allegedly preventing students from “receiving competitive offers from other schools” and locking students “into tuition and financial aid agreements,” according to CBS News. However, an ED application looks appealing when the admission rate is significantly higher; Northwestern University had an ED acceptance rate of 20% compared to a regular decision rate of 7% in 2024, according to the Daily Northwestern.

If you didn’t decide to apply ED, or if you’re not a senior, chances are you have a friend who did. And chances are there is another Trevian who hates your friend for applying ED to the same school they did. Beneath the soft ringing of jingle bells is a growing panic taking over the senior class.

Let’s rewind. 

This ED stress doesn’t come out of thin air. New Trier High School was ranked number 371 in the nation and number 13 in the state of Illinois for best high school by the U.S. News and World Report. Winnetka, and the greater North Shore area, was ranked number five for wealthiest and safest cities in the U.S. by a GOBankingRates report. It’s no question that New Trier students are incredibly fortunate to receive an advanced and thorough education, filled with passionate teachers, unique curriculum and immense support. 

However, with this privilege comes a huge responsibility. As New Trier students, the college conversation starts early. Before freshman year even begins, many students have tutors, college counselors, essay coaches, strict SAT and ACT preparation programs and sophisticated, color-coded outlines of what it’s going to take to get into their dream school. What starts off as “so far away” quickly begins to accelerate as the years go on.

Being surrounded by prepared, college-obsessed peers becomes overwhelming fast. Even for underclassmen who haven’t begun to think about college, early talks of prestigious dream schools and maximizing their chances of acceptance between friends serve as a constant reminder of the inevitable, stressful college process that lies ahead. As a result, many students feel pressured to keep up with their ambitious peers.

This pressure can quickly become too much. Many students decide to ED simply to get the application process over with. Many students question whether their ED is truly their top choice, yet—heightened by the growing anxiety that has been exponentially building since the first day of ninth grade—they submit an application regardless. 

Suddenly, what started as a collective effort—everyone going through rigorous course loads together—became a rather individual, competitive process. As students work to live up to the prestige of a family legacy at schools like Northwestern University or the University of Michigan, the pressure to apply ED and increase the chance of an acceptance grows. Open conversations about the college application process become whispers as students become more private about the schools they are considering. 

Classmates, in an already competitive environment, are now seen as competitors. While some students are simply nervous about receiving their decision, others are convinced that disclosing their top school will send a mass of angry peers their way. The brightness on Common Application screens are turned down, secured with intense verification codes. As the decision date approaches in December, we’re all finally hit with a dump of Instagram posts on the NT commitment page. Until then, though, students tiptoe around the subject.

As students get decisions back this week, it’s important to keep in mind that we’re peers—the people we sat next to in Kindergarten, played with at recess and saved cafeteria seats for. Whatever decision you receive this week, whether you’re accepted, deferred, or rejected, it’s important to keep in mind who’s stood by you throughout your high school career. They aren’t your competitors, brutally ripping a university seat away from you, but your friends. 

No matter where you end up, the trajectory of your career isn’t dependent on the acceptance rate of your university. A survey from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that students attending more selective colleges don’t earn higher salaries than other students who were rejected by schools of similar prestige but attended less selective colleges. While moving through the college application process, it’s important to remember that you should choose the best college for you. No one should determine the next four years of their life based on the one month opinion, from May Day to graduation, of other students. 

Everyone is truly wrapped up in the pressure of it all and concerned about their own individual future. Choose the fit that is best for you. 

For the juniors, sophomores and freshman, the college process will be overwhelming, stressful and fast-paced no matter what. Senior year is an exceptionally busy time, and it is completely normal, and expected, to feel swept up in the growing anxiety. That being said, it’s important to ground yourself throughout the whirlwind of your last high school moments. As competitive as it may seem, there’s no “ED Hit List,” and your friend’s acceptance won’t determine the outcome of your decision. No matter where you end up, there truly is a place for everyone—regardless of how you apply.