Getting a Jump on College Applications

While most students think of senior fall as “college application season”, it is highly beneficial to get a head start on some of that work over the summer when you don’t have things like homework and extracurriculars competing for your time! You definitely want to make sure you take advantage of the summer to get plenty of rest so you feel energized for the fall, but there are many things you can be starting to work on slowly over the summer. Here are my biggest suggestions:

• Create a Common App account if you haven’t already! While the new Common App won’t be rolling out until August 1st, your information will roll over into the new application. 

  • Take some time to fill out the first 3 sections (Profile, Family, Education), ensuring that all of your information is complete and accurate! You will likely need a parent’s help with the Family section, so make sure you set aside some time with them to tackle this portion. 

  • Start working on the Activities section (here are some tips for that!) Don’t rush through this piece, as it is a valuable place to highlight how you’ve spent your time outside the classroom and bring a little bit more individuality to your application!

  • Brainstorm and start drafting (if not altogether completing) your Personal Statement (be prepared for that essay to be an early assignment in your English class, so think about how great it would be to already have that done!). Don’t get too caught up in the “topic”; focus instead on what you want an admissions officer to know most about you when they read this essay! Here are some thoughts on approaching that essay. 

  • Look at the 2 additional optional essays that will be offered on the Common App this year (found at the bottom of this page) and consider if they apply to you and would offer the schools broader context on your circumstances. If so, these would be great essays to get started on this summer!

• If you don’t have one already, keep working towards finalizing your college list. Nothing will hold your process back more in the fall than if you’re still waffling over where to apply! 

  • My rule of thumb is to shoot for 8-12 schools with no more than a third or so of those being “reach” schools. Aim to have at least a couple of likelier options that you would be excited to attend! 

  • Start adding the schools you’re sure about to the Common App so you will have a sense of additional essays you will have to write. Be warned though that most colleges won’t have their finalized essays in the system until August 1st so you might want to wait to write those until then!

• In August, you definitely should try and get a jump on as many of those shorter supplemental essays as you can. Here are some suggestions on how to approach some of the most common ones!

I find that students who work consistently through the summer serve to lessen a lot of the stress and time crunch they might otherwise encounter in the fall (especially if they are aiming for those early action October/November deadlines!) Set a goal to tackle one thing each week, whether that might be completing a section of the Common App, writing the next draft of your Personal Statement, or tackling a specific school’s shorter essays. You’d be amazed at how much you can accomplish over those precious 8 weeks or so!