Plan and prioritize to complete your applications effectively

One of the hardest aspects of the college application process for high school seniors is turning in a top-notch, carefully considered application without getting into a time crunch that can be both stressful to the student and harmful to the quality of the submitted materials. 

Indeed, the pressure to gain admission to your favorite school often creates “paralysis by analysis” in which students focus too much on one aspect of an application, hoping to perfect the tone or the ideas they are articulating, only to neglect the rest of the application. And sometimes, students get so fixated on one area that they wait until the very last minute to address parts of the application that are actually the most important.

Here are some steps to take to get over the finish line:

Prepare, Plan and Prioritize

• Set out goals ahead of time so you can make a plan. Be specific and measurable. Identify deadlines, and lay out a timeline to get tasks done.

• Focus first on the applications due earliest in the process, whether that be for early decision or early action, or for a school that offers rolling admission. If applying to multiple schools in early action, be sure to begin with your first choice to give it the maximum amount of attention. 

• Be clear on what each school is asking for. Most schools use the Common Application but will also have a supplement specific to their school. Some universities will only have one prompt on their Supplement; others will have several. Be sure to carefully research what each school is asking for, and when, before beginning to work on all of your applications.  

• Look for groupings of essay questions across supplemental applications so you can be efficient and avoid duplicating work as you move from one university’s application to another. 

• Make required prompts a priority, but do allow time in your planning for optional prompts. An optional prompt, by definition, is not necessary; however, an optional prompt is an opportunity to present more of your story to the admissions committee.  

• Don’t forget to leave time for a week of un-rushed review and editing prior to an application’s due-date.

And remember, Perfectionism does not help!

Avoid the temptation to go back and review essays or tasks once they’re completed. Getting stuck on one essay means time not spent on others. Ask any writer and they’ll tell you a perfect essay is impossible. There is always room to improve. So once you’ve answered a prompt and given it a thorough edit, move on to the next task on your timeline!