When Should I Start My College Applications?

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When Should I Start My College Applications?

Though you’ve hopefully been putting some preliminary thought into your college application process, the real work begins in earnest the summer after junior year. Once you are past finals, AP exams, or any lingering school commitments, it’s time to turn your attentions to the essays and other pieces that will comprise your application. That said, you should allow yourself a week or two after summer break starts to rest up, before diving back into deep brain work.For rising juniors and sophomores, this summer is a great time to cultivate skills, do some initial research on different kinds of schools, and advance personal projects forward. Remember, the best way to be a successful college applicant is to be a successful high school student. So even before you start your college applications, you are laying the foundation for how you will present yourself.Here are a few tips for how to ready yourself to tackle your college applications this summer.

Have a Firm Sense of Your Summer Plans

You might already have a slew of things planned for the next few months. Perhaps you are going on a fun vacation with your parents or looking forward to a pre-college program across the coast. Whatever you anticipate doing, add it to your calendar or map it out on a timeline, so you have a clear sense of when you will be free to work on college applications. It’s important not to overwhelm yourself with too much activity, so remember to schedule in some down time too.On the other hand, don’t set aside your entire summer to work on applications. It will be much more fruitful for your personal development and your application chances to participate in meaningful activities. If you have nothing lined up, consider seeking out an internship, volunteering for a nonprofit, or starting a passion project!

Understand the Anatomy of College Applications

So what exactly goes into a college application? It depends a little on where you plan to apply, but most schools—especially those with early admissions plans—use the Common App.The main components of the Common App include:

  1. Personal, family, education, and testing information.
  2. Teacher and counselor recommendation letters.
  3. An activity list of up to 10 activities.
  4. A 650-word personal essay.
  5. A 650-word additional information section.
  6. Colleges’ supplemental essays and questions.

It can be intimidating when you log into an application portal to find pages upon pages of questions, but it’s not as scary when you break things down into smaller parts. Most of the questions have to do with asking easy-to-answer facts about yourself: your name, school address, test scores, and the like. Essays, the activity list, and answers to recommendation letter questionnaires usually require multiple drafts of writing and refining so they pack a punch.

Set Realistic Goals

Trying to finish up all your college application at once is like shoving an entire cake in your mouth—it’s unpleasant and will make you queasy. Plus, the more time you give yourself to reflect on your life, the better your essays usually turn out, like well-cooked stew.Pace yourself by setting a goal every week—whether it’s dedicating three hours to college applications or finishing at least two drafts.  Have a good sense of what you want to accomplish by the end of the summer and reverse engineer a plan from there. Usually, completing items 1-5 in the list above will set you up for success in the fall.Be patient with yourself through the process. Sometimes, students get stuck attempting to write the perfect essay on the first try but don’t let that be your demise. When it comes to essays, writing is brainstorming, at least for initial drafts. You must let your ideas, words, and sentences out, no matter how gnarly they seem at first, to produce raw material that can be shaped and refined.

Make a Plan for Supplemental Essays

You might wait to start on supplemental essays until after you are close to finalizing your major essay and activity list, that way you’re more likely to finish up all the materials required by every school on the Common App before summer ends. While it’s perfectly fine to start on supplements in the fall, you should develop a game plan for how to manage your time and balance courses, extracurriculars, and other responsibilities.Students who will apply early decision or early action should definitely start with supplements for those colleges; but if you do not have a firm sense of your top choices yet, you can still prioritize schools with earlier deadlines and heftier essay requirements. Before you dig in, it’s good to make a document of your colleges, listing their respective deadlines and supplemental essay requirements.Having the right mindset is 50% of the battle. With an anticipation to be productive over the summer, having particular goals in mind, you will be able to find time for both rest, play, and work.The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.Ready to get started? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute conversation today!Want to stay informed? Subscribe to our newsletter.See what others are saying about us

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