College applications can be an incredibly stressful time, as seniors know only too well. The entire application process, for most schools, is completed online; a fact that was complicated by the arrival of Hurricane Sandy and the thousands of potential college freshman left without power.

A number of schools around the country set their early-action deadline at November 1, but extended those deadlines, either as a blanket rule for all applicants or for those directly affected by the storm.
“My application to Duke University got pushed back to November 4, even though I wasn’t affected by the storm,” senior Sydney Prendergast said. “I found the new deadline on the website, and they sent me an email.  I’d already completed the application, but the new deadline allowed me to reread and edit my essays, and give my teachers more time to complete my letters of recommendation. It was such a stress reliever.”
But for other students, miscommunication made a potentially relaxing situation turn more stressful.
“My mom had called me about my application to my school of choice and told me the deadline had been extended, and I was really excited and relieved,” senior Anisha Srivastava said. “Later I looked on the website and I saw that the extension was for those directly affected by the storm only.  It wasn’t a big deal, since I’d already finished most of the application, but I thought I would have time to look over and edit my essays again, and it was really stressful to have the time I thought I had cut short.”