Are you prepared for college applications?
Every year, acceptance rates at Ivy League and similar prestigious universities become a little smaller. While it might feel like the dog days of summer are just for relaxation, many savvy rising seniors across the country are already diving head first into their college application and essay process. As an educational consultant who works extensively with competitive applicants from around the world, I can’t say I blame them for getting an early start.
Fortunately, you’re not too late to get started on the process. Whenever possible, I recommend students begin drafting their essays and working on their applications the summer before their senior year. Not only does it reduce stress by giving you more time to work on your applications, but it also allows you to explore multiple options and write your best possible essays without rushing to a deadline.
If you have yet to start the application process, I put together a simple list of steps to help you get off on the right foot.
1. Start Your College List
Many students experience difficulty creating an objective list of colleges based on tier: Reach, Target, and Safety. At this point in high school, you should hopefully have a basic idea of the colleges you might want to attend. Put the ones you feel certain about down on a list.
If the list looks too small or you’re not sure about all the options out there, you might benefit from talking to friends, a parent, a school counselor, or even a college consultant. Alongside these outside resources, take advantage of the world at your fingertips: start researching potential schools online. Niche and US News and World Report offer great rankings of top universities and colleges.
Once you have compiled a list of colleges you aspire to attend, usually five to ten initial options, you can begin to check your statistics (i.e. test scores, GPA) and your achievements against their average expectations for accepted students. This will give you an idea of your chances. Make sure you have a few safety schools with at least 70% acceptance rates so that you will have almost guaranteed options that you can attend in case the worst happens.
2. Organize Your Academic Life
Students who lack organization in the process are prone to overlook critical activities and accomplishments that would improve their application package.
After you have a functional college list, I recommend putting together an unofficial resume of all your high school accomplishments. Start with the basics—GPA, test scores, academic awards—and move on to your activities. List all of your extracurriculars with basic descriptions of your positions, accomplishments, and level of dedication (time).
This will come in handy on the Common Application eventually, too. Beyond this, jot down memorable moments from activities, adventures, and other notable experiences that have happened in your life.
Students and parents benefit from an objective perspective when selecting their most interesting attributes. Even if you, a parent, or a teacher loves an activity, it might not be the most impressive to a college reader.
3. Begin Drafting Your College Essays
Each year, thousands of students ring in the New Year in a full state of panic rushing through essays. Don’t be one of them!
I am a proponent of starting on the essay process sooner rather than later. Even if you are not positive about your full college list or if you have not started on your application (pro-tip: you can leave the data entry for later), starting on your essays early allows you to focus the most time on the most difficult part of the application process.
If you start your essays in the summer, you have the time and opportunity to experiment with multiple drafts, many of which can be transformed into supplemental essays later. Through this type of iterative writing process, I have consistently seen students achieve phenomenal results.
4. Don’t Panic
The college application process is a marathon, not a sprint. If you save too much of the work until the end, it increases your chances of doing a subpar job and your chances of panicking.
No matter where you are in the college admissions process, it is certainly not time to panic (yet). Don’t be afraid to reach out for help when you need it; it may be the best way to ensure you are on the right track.
However, if you have yet to start, you still have plenty of time this summer and fall to write essays that show your true self, allowing you to gain admission to your dream schools.
Nonetheless, the sooner you get to work, the more flexibility you will have in the process!
