Steps to College Application Success

It’s that time of year. Early Action college applications are due in just over two weeks, and I’m stressed out of my mind. Almost every conversation I’ve had this fall with someone who’s not a senior is about college, and I’m tired of it. Maybe I wouldn’t be so worried about my applications if I had listened to the advice given to me during junior year.

To be fair, all the people in my life who gave me advice had either gone to college decades ago or hadn’t gone to college in the US. As the oldest sibling, I’m also the guinea pig for my family’s college application journey, which means I can’t ask my parents or older siblings for advice about this process.

I don’t want other people to suffer the way I’m suffering now as they apply for colleges in a few years (or next year if you’re a junior), so here are ten pieces of advice I’d give to anyone who’s on their college journey.

1. Write your college essay early.

Juniors in English 11 and AP Lang will have the opportunity to write their college essays at the end of the year. Take it! Having a first draft of your essay by the end of junior year will help you edit it as much as you like over the summer. Once you return to school, you’ll submit your essay to your English 12 or AP Lit teacher for feedback. After you get that feedback, make your final edits and get that part of the application process out of the way!

2. Figure out what things you’re looking for in a college.

Searching for the perfect college can be a very daunting process, but it’s easier to tackle once you figure out what colleges have things that suit your lifestyle. Visiting and researching colleges can give you a good idea of what campus life, housing, and other aspects of the schools you’re researching are like. This way, you’ll have a good idea of what colleges you may be interested in applying to by the time your senior year starts.

3. Start applying for scholarships.

Most people don’t know that you can start applying for scholarships as early as freshman year! Visit the College Board website or the College and Career Center for information about scholarships relating to the field you want to major in. Note that most large scholarships are binding to certain schools, such as the Posse Scholarship and the Questbridge Scholarship.

4. Check all the mail colleges send you.

Even though your first reaction to getting a letter in the mail from a college is to throw it away, don’t! Those letters have a plethora of information, and can even include fee waivers that’ll make applying to colleges free. Even if none of the colleges you want to apply to send you mail, still keep it – it may come in handy later.

5. Fill out the Common App once it opens in August.

Juniors, this one’s for you. The Common App normally opens around August 1, and as soon as it opens, start filling it out. Since so many colleges use your Common App information as you apply, it’s important to get it filled out early. Your account can also be linked to Naviance to streamline your application process.

6. Request teachers to write recommendation letters for you as soon as possible.

If you want to ask a teacher to write a recommendation letter for you, it’s best to tell them in person close to the end of your junior year. Then, at the beginning of your senior year, you should tell them again and send a list of things you want them to highlight in their letter. The deadline for requesting teacher recommendation letters is 15 school days before your application deadline, so getting that done early is essential.

7. Request your transcripts before the end of September.

All colleges require an official copy of your transcript as part of your application, and those must be sent through the school. At the beginning of your senior year, go to the Counseling Office to pick up the Transcript Request Form, and once you’ve filled it out, turn it into our Registrar, Ms. Marks (whose office is located in the Counseling Office). The sooner you do this, the better since you must turn in this form 15 school days before your application deadline.

8. Finish filling out your Brag Sheet before the start of October.

The Brag Sheet is a form in which you outline your schedule, information about yourself that colleges won’t get to know through your application, and all of your extracurricular activities. The information you put in this document will help your counselor write a letter of recommendation for you, which is required by most colleges. The sooner you turn your Brag Sheet in, the quicker your counselor can finish it, which will make life easier for both you and your counselor.

9. Finish your supplemental essays as soon as you can.

Supplemental essays are writing prompts included in a college application that provide the college with more information about yourself and your values. Even though supplemental essays take less time to finish than the main essay you write for college applications, they give colleges a more holistic view of your writing skills and personal experiences. These small essays add up, so the more you get done earlier, the better!

10. Set up a meeting with your counselor in September.

Meeting with your counselor is one of the most important parts of the college application process since your counselor has to write a letter of recommendation for you as part of your application. Meeting your counselor in person is a great way to find someone else to talk to about the college application process, and is a great way to introduce yourself and will give them a better idea of who you are as a person.

You may have noticed something similar about all the advice I gave you: starting early is essential! The first two weeks of senior year seem calm, but once the school year and extracurriculars start, there’s almost no time for applications. To reduce the stress of senior year, start preparing for the college application process as early as possible. I promise you won’t regret it.