It was recently nail-biting season for the 3 million high school seniors applying to college — and for their equally anxious parents. May 1 was official Decision Day, when families needed to make a deposit at one school where they were accepted, even if they were wait-listed at a college they’d prefer.

According to the Princeton Review, stress levels among applicants and their parents this year are high. So are worries about footing the bills should their ideal college say, “You’re in!” But hopes for the return on their investment prevail: College is widely viewed as “worth it.”

In a fantasy scenario — if admission were automatic and cost inconsequential — the “dream” college from which students and parents most wish they’d be getting the good news is Stanford University. That’s according to findings of the Princeton Review’s recently released 2019 College Hopes and Worries Survey.

The survey, which the company has conducted annually since 2003, gathered opinions from 11,900 people — 78 percent were college applicants, 22 percent were parents of applicants. The survey format was a questionnaire with multiple-choice answers. One question invited a fill-in-the-blank answer.

The schools students most named as their “dream college” were:

1. Stanford University

2. Harvard College

3. Princeton University

4. New York University

5. University of California Los Angeles

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

7. Columbia University

8. University of Pennsylvania

9. Yale University

10. University of Michigan

Answers to the survey’s multiple-choice questions (from both students and parents) indicate these findings:

Were college applications stressful? Yes: 73 percent of respondents reported their level of stress about the college application process as “high,” a 17 percent increase since the survey made its debut in 2003.

The toughest factor? Tests. Asked which aspect of the application process was toughest, 37 percent (a plurality) chose “taking the SAT, ACT or AP exams,” and 33 percent said “completing applications for admission and financial aid.”

The biggest hope? Financial aid: 64 percent of respondents deemed their need for financial aid “extremely necessary,” and 24 percent answered “very necessary.” Nearly 9 out of 10 (88 percent) of respondents reported needing money for college outside of their savings.

The biggest worry? Debt: 42 percent said their biggest concern was “level of debt to pay for the degree,” 31 percent chose the answer “will get into first-choice college but won’t be able to afford to attend,” and 20 percent chose “won’t get into first-choice college” (which in earlier years of the survey was the respondents’ top worry).

The biggest benefit of earning a college degree? Jobs: 43 percent said the major benefit of a degree was a “potentially better job/income,” while 25 percent said “education,” and 32 percent said “exposure to new ideas.”

The distance from home of an “ideal” college? Relatively near, say parents. Far, say students. Among parents, 47 percent chose “less than 250 miles” as the ideal distance of their child’s college, and 31 percent chose “less than 500 miles.” Among students, 69 percent chose answers in ranges from 250 to 1,000 miles as the ideal distance.

The issue most important in their final college choice? Career services: 42 percent chose “college with the best program for my career interests” as the factor that will most sway their ultimate college choice, 41 percent chose “college that will be the best overall fit,” 9 percent chose “most affordable college,” and only 8 percent chose “college with the best academic reputation.”

Other survey findings report on respondents’ answers to questions about the number of colleges they (or their child) were applying to, issues that matter most to them when evaluating colleges, and how they rate the guidance from their school counselor.

Lee Shulman Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte, N.C. Visit her website College Admissions Strategies.