After Submit — The Art of Letting Go

There’s a moment after the chaos of submission week — when the essays are uploaded, the portals are checked (and rechecked), and the last “Submit” button is finally clicked — that feels eerily quiet. For many families, that silence can be uncomfortable. After months of constant motion, the stillness feels unfamiliar.

But this pause is where something essential happens: the shift from control to trust.

Over the past few weeks, many of my students have written more than twenty essays — personal statements, supplements, short responses, you name it. They’ve done it while juggling full course loads that haven’t slowed down in the least, sitting for the SAT or ACT one last time, and staying committed to the activities and communities they love. They’ve stayed up late — too late — sending me emails and drafts at 10, 11, even midnight and beyond. And through it all, they’ve remained kind, funny, warm, and so open to feedback and growth.

This process demands more than most people realize. It’s the intellectual equivalent of an Ironman; a marathon is nothing compared to the endurance, reflection, and heart it takes to put your story into words over and over again.

To my students: you have worked so hard. You’ve shown tenacity, vulnerability, and purpose at every turn. I am endlessly proud of you.

To parents: this is where the hardest work begins — resisting the instinct to keep refreshing portals or revisiting essays. Your student needs your calm now. They’ve given everything they have to this process. What they need most is rest, joy, and a reminder of life beyond applications.

So this weekend, take the collective exhale you’ve earned. Go on the walk. Make the family dinner. Reclaim the rhythm of normal life. Growth doesn’t happen in the noise. It happens in the quiet — when we step back, trust the work that’s been done, and let it stand on its own. As you close the laptop this weekend, remind yourself and your student: the waiting isn’t empty time. It’s proof of faith — in the work, in the process, and in who they’ve become along the way.

Flow forward.