Steps to Take Before You Hit Submit!
The deadline for your early action and early decision applications is rapidly approaching! After you complete the final touches on your supplemental responses, it’s important to take a moment to make sure all your components are in order before submitting. At this stage, a sense of urgency is healthy, but there are also steps you can take to lower your stress levels and to submit confidently as well as comfortably.
Load Materials in the Common App – Remember all those Google Docs you worked so hard to fill with your college essay responses? Thanks to those, all you need to do is copy your responses into the various Writing sections of the Common App and supplement sections. Also make sure you’ve carefully filled out the Activities section. The Profile, Family, Education, and Testing sections, as well as the many “Yes-No” questions on the supplements, are relatively straightforward, but be sure to read each carefully. Try to get everything loaded in the Common App or application platform well before the deadline. We recommend 2 weeks early!
Double Check for hidden essays – As you complete each application section in the Common App for each of your schools, check for extra required essays to make sure you haven’t missed any. Another reason to get everything loaded in the system 2 weeks early!
Optional Responses – If you haven’t done them already, complete the “optional” essays for each school unless the question truly does not apply for you. While these essays are listed as optional, you should view them as another precious opportunity for admissions committees to learn more about you. In fact, if the question applies to you, your answer shows that you’re invested in your application and the school and gives you another way to stand out from the crowd!
Submit Scores – If you choose to include your testing as part of your application, you should officially submit your SAT/ACT scores through the College Board (SAT) or ACT sites in addition to self-reporting your scores in the Common App. While many schools do require that you officially submit your SAT/ACT scores, self-reporting is sufficient for AP scores until you accept admission to your top choice college. At that point, you can submit those AP scores if you want them considered for college credit.
Additional Info – Consider using the Additional Info section to expand on activities or honors that didn’t get enough attention in the limited space that the Activity Section allows. You might want to include certifications that you’ve earned; anything from floral arrangements to CPR!
Check With Recommenders – Double check with your teachers and guidance counselor to confirm that they know when and how they need to submit their letters. Make sure you’ve correctly connected teachers and your guidance counselor to EACH supplement in the Common App so that they receive the automated instructions on how to submit their letter. And with your guidance counselor, it’s always good to update them on the full list of schools to which you ended up applying.
Proofread – Have a family member or trusted advisor proofread. And then proofread again! At this stage, it’s helpful to have fresh and trusted eyes review your application before you hit submit. This is an important part of our work at Arthur Smith Advising - it is really important to review everything one last time when all the “jigsaw puzzle pieces” are finally in place!
Submit – HIT SUBMIT and pat yourself on the back. This part is as easy as completing a purchase online.
Keep an eye out for emails from the universities to which you apply. Many of them will set up a “portal” for you where you can log in to track your application progress, learn about interview opportunities, and other important pieces of information. Ultimately, this is where you’ll log in to get your decision.
Once you’ve completed these steps, take a moment to enjoy your progress before tackling the next round. After experiencing the full cycle, from essay draft to submission, you’ll take new skills and knowledge to apply to your regular decision applications.