Graduating high schoolers applying for college are 99% certain that a foray into higher education is going to work out, but several factors contribute to high levels of stress during the application process.
That’s according to The Princeton Review’s “2025 College Hopes & Worries Survey Report,” which examined what 7,000 prospective college students (and over 2,000 of their parents) did to ensure they were accepted into the college of their dreams.
Speaking of dream colleges, here are their top 10 picks:
| Students | Parents |
| 1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 1. Princeton University |
| 2. Harvard College | 2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| 3. Stanford University | 3. Stanford University |
| 4. Princeton University | 4. Harvard College |
| 5. Yale University | 5. Yale University |
| 6. Columbia University | 6. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor |
| 7. New York University | 7. Columbia University |
| 8. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 8. Duke University |
| 9. University of Pennsylvania | 9. New York University |
| 10. University of California-Los Angeles | 10. University of Texas-Austin |
However, these aspirations come with a toll. Nearly three out of four (73%) of all applicants said they experienced “high” or “very high” stress while completing their college application. Over one-third (35%) said completing the admission and financial aid application was the toughest part of the process.
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The second-most difficult part was taking a standardized test, such as SAT, ACT or AP exam. While many colleges and universities became test-optional during the pandemic, 92% of respondents said they (or their child) took or still plan to take at least one exam—the primary reason being to distinguish their application.
Money regularly was at the core of applicants’ motivations or fears about college. For example, 46% said a major benefit to a degree would be higher income and access to a better career. That aspiration ranked far higher than being exposed to new ideas or receiving an education.
While only 11% are basing their decision on the most affordable college, the most prominent concern among applicants for 13 consecutive years is the level of debt they’d accrue to pay for their degree. In 2003, only 6% of respondents shared this concern.
