5 Tips to Conquer the College Application Process
As your final summer as a high school student slowly comes to an end, the realization of what lies ahead becomes a daunting reality. You’ll undoubtedly have friends and classmates at different points in their college application journey. Some will have a college list ready, gone on campus tours, and even drafted a couple of application essays. While others won’t have the slightest idea about where they want to apply. Regardless of where you lie on this spectrum, know that the college application process is NOT as difficult or stressful as you may think. Having personally spent countless hours guiding students through this process, I’m here to put your worries to rest and show you how to make these next several months the exciting step towards the future they were meant to be.
Tip #1 Master Checklist
Step one, BREATHE. When you are at the foot of a mountain, staring at a distant peak nestled among the clouds, it is easy to stress yourself out and have thoughts of self-doubt creep into your mind. Instead, break the process down into a “master checklist” of all the things you need to accomplish from now until you hit the submit button on your final application. Write this list down. Include things such as: creating an initial college list, picking a major, filling out your applications, writing your application essays, etc. This seemingly rudimentary exercise will not only help you better orchestrate a battle plan (I’ll cover this in the next step), but it will declutter your mind of the supposedly endless tasks ahead of you in these next several months.
Tip #2 Battle Plan
Once this master checklist has been completed and you’ve successfully put together an initial college list (I’ll cover this in another article), you can start the process of creating a battle plan. Your battle plan will be a road map, a carefully thought out blueprint detailing how and WHEN you will efficiently and effectively complete this process. The first step of your battle plan is to figure out the application requirements for each university on your college list. Knowing the full extent of each application will allow you to better outline a correct course of action. When crafting this plan, prioritize based on an application’s importance and corresponding deadline. For example, if you are applying to any schools on the Common App, you should focus on writing a great Common App essay (as this will go to each school you apply to on the Common App) before you try to tackle your supplemental essays. When you do start to plan your supplemental applications, remember that not every school or major has the same application or number of essays, so be sure to check during this early stage! When glancing over these essays, pay close attention to the prompts; you’ll find that you can re-use certain core ideas for different applications. Also keep in mind that college app essays take longer to write and perfect than a typical high school essay, so please plan accordingly.
Tip#3 Deadlines
Create deadlines for yourself! Mapping out how you are going to navigate this process will only be effective if you set and adhere to these self-imposed deadlines. I, like many of my peers in high school, waited until the last possible moment to complete many of my applications. DON’T DO THIS! It causes an unnecessary level of stress that can easily be avoided with proper planning. Be sure that the deadline you set to complete an application is at least a week (preferably two-three weeks) before the actual deadline. Giving yourself a week of leeway allows you to review your essay(s) a couple more times with fresh eyes, and makes it possible for someone else to proofread them. Not submitting at the last minute will also let you double-check that you have properly filled out your application, and allows you to submit it without worrying about any technical malfunctions. Yes, application sites have crashed due to an influx of procrastinators trying to submit their applications in the 11th hour.
Tip #4 Have a Life
Don’t forget that this process is only one aspect of your life, albeit a very important aspect, but you still can’t neglect your other responsibilities. When going through this process you still have to juggle school, sports, extra-curricular activities, a social life, spending time with family, and sleep (no you can’t skip this part). It is easy to get caught up in the noise of the college app season, but take some time to appreciate your journey and the people around you, especially your family. It’s difficult to imagine a life where you don’t see your parents or siblings every day (ok maybe you have been dreaming about this for a long time), but after you leave for college that quality family time will most likely be limited to a few holidays and a few weeks over the summer when you aren’t working.
Although it’s crucial to focus on your college applications, don’t do so at the expense of other important facets of your life, especially those closest to you.
Tip #5 Be Confident and True to Yourself
Last but certainly not least, be confident in YOURself and YOUR abilities. There is a reason you have successfully made it this far. And yes, maybe you are kicking yourself — as you review the one glitch on your transcript — for socializing too much in your European history class freshman year. Don’t look back wishing you would have done things differently, or fearing that you aren’t a special enough applicant for your dream school. Look forward because that is all you can control now.
As cliché as this may sound, every student is unique and has something different to offer. This isn’t just me or your mom talking, this is what admissions officers have told me and why they place such value on your application essays because it’s essentially their only chance to hear YOU tell them who YOU are. Remember they want to hear about YOU, not a concocted and superficial version of you, but the authentic YOU.
If you follow these simple steps and keep the tips I’ve provided in mind, I promise that this process will not be as daunting. Don’t be bogged down when looking at what lies ahead, instead break the process down into monthly, weekly, and daily goals. See each day as a new challenge and focus on accomplishing that day’s goals. If you do this every day, if you focus and concentrate all your energy on today, you’ll be amazed at how much you accomplish.
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I hope this article was beneficial and gave you confidence in your ability to conquer the college app process! If you have any questions or comments please write a response or contact me directly at franco@nearpeermentors.com.
I’m passionate about guiding students through this process. This passion has led me to create an innovative and unique college counseling platform that connects high school students with current college students studying at the universities to which they are applying. We recognize the importance college applications can have on the trajectory of your future, and we want to ensure that you are given the tools to succeed. Interested in learning more? Check us out at nearpeermentors.com!
