Ah. Graduating from high school.

One might recall the joy and feeling of liberation that comes with crossing the long-awaited rite of passage into young adulthood.

These days, that thrill seems to be short lived.

Getting into the best school, the right program and achieving the grade-point-average to succeed comes with great pressure. This years' college admissions scandal in the U.S. drew attention to the cut-throat nature of getting into top-tier post-secondary institutions. But is admission to an established university or college tougher than it was 20, 10, even 5 years ago?

Tune in to Pomp and Pressure, a new special series about the stresses that youth face going into post-secondary, airing on CBC Radio One's The Early Edition and On The Coast from Sept. 3-6, with features on CBC Vancouver News at 6 and cbc.ca/bc.

Pomp and Pressure asks how students are coping with increasing amounts of stress leading into post-secondary, and what are the best ways to support young people making this transition. Students, parents, mental health advocates and student support services share their insights, advice and experiences.

Listen to The Early Edition with Stephen Quinn weekday mornings and On The Coast with Gloria Macarenko weekday afternoons on CBC Radio One, and read top stories any time online at cbc.ca/bc.