As another school year approaches, our rising high school seniors are about to enter what I like to call the “senior sprint” – the 90-day period covering September – October where the bulk of college application work is done. Historically, this period is when many seniors will feel the highest level of stress linked to the application process, but there are things we can do this month (August) to significantly reduce this stress.
1. Complete the Personal Essay: One of the best ways we can cut down stress during the 90-day sprint is to have the personal essay completed. Arguably one of the most time consuming and frequently frustrating parts of the application process is this essay. Buckle down this month and get it out of the way.
2. Complete the Common App Activities List: The activities list (found in the activities section under the Common App tab in the Common App) is deceptive. At first glance, it looks very easy to fill out. But for most students, this section requires a significant amount of time and reflection. We want to ensure we are including all non-academic activities we’ve participated in over the last three years (for some, just remembering all these activities is a challenge) and we also want to take advantage of the extremely limited space we have (150 characters) to describe each activity. Yes, the space only allows for very short descriptions, but that does not mean it is easier, just that we need to put serious thought into each character we use.
3. Begin Finalizing the College List: At this stage, we should be nearing the final set of schools we plan to apply to. While each student’s process and preferences are different, I feel strongly that applying to between 8-15 schools is the right amount. We should spend August continuing to research schools on our lists and working to move the list into its final form.
4. Get a Jump on Supplemental Essays: As of August 1st, the Common App is live for the 2024-2025 application cycle! This means that we are now able to go into our accounts, review the colleges on our lists, and access the supplemental prompts we will need to write our essays about. Once the personal essay is completed, I strongly urge students to spend time drafting some initial supplemental essay responses before the school year starts back up.
If you are able to complete the above actions this month, I guarantee your sprint will be far less stressful – allowing you more time and energy to the fun events associated with senior year!
If you’d like to hear more about the above steps, join me on 15 August for a free “College Application “To Do’s” for Rising Seniors” Webinar. Just go here to grab your free ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/college-application-to-dos-for-rising-seniors-tickets-969337854617
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