Application season has arrived! And with it comes many questions as students start figuring out what colleges they want to apply for, what they need for each application, all while starting their last or second to last school year. Amidst this critical time of high school and the equally important time of applications, students often ask us: "what should I be focusing on for this month?"
First, this is a great question. Taking this season month by month is an excellent way to organize your plan of action, spread everything out as needed, and accomplish great things without feeling too overwhelmed. We'll be releasing a new blog post each month with a list of things to focus on for the month to help you stay on track for early admission!
Test Scores
First on our list is test scores. As you most likely already know, the SAT and ACT are required for a majority of colleges when applying. It can take between 10-14 days usually to get these results back, so it's best to take them early on in your application process. This encourages you to study over summer before the chaos of school starting takes over, while simultaneously giving you time to retake either exam if necessary.
Essays
Each application might require different essays, or if you use Common App only one main essay. But these essays are incredibly important to your application. It's one of the only pieces of work college admissions will see that's from you, not a score or GPA. This means that you should be taking your time with your essay, letting your peers read and review it, and get help on it should you need it. Really think about the prompt and what it means to you. Remember, there will be lots of other students who receive the same prompt, so you'll want to make sure yours will stand out.
Letters of Recommendation
Giving a teacher or mentor only a few days to write a letter of recommendation is widely considered bad etiquette. They're writing about you, so you'll want to give them plenty of heads up and a date you'll need the letter by. You can also give them a format you'd like it in, or a list of points they should mention. But the last thing you'd want is for them to rush through it.
Transcript Requests
Transcripts don't take a long time to be sent to you, but should you need to send any to the college admissions team makes it best to request them early. It also is an easier task to start early than some of the other ones on this list, meaning it can be something knocked out easily so you won't have to worry about it in the future.
We hope this list helps you figuring out a starting place in applying to colleges. If the college journey seems stressful or intimidating to you, know that you aren't alone! We have a team of consultants who are ready to assit you in getting you into the college of your dreams. Click below to set up a call to get started!
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