Coming from someone who has yet to submit a single college application, you don’t want to be in my position once you get to senior year. So listen up. The pure decision of where to go, the amount of writing supplements, the ever-so-important college essay, and the time crunch left me confused and overwhelmed for two months. If I were to start over, the phrase, “It’s not done, but I sure am,” would be EXTINGUISHED from my vocabulary. More specifically, I would make a schedule for myself, ensure that I am taking standardized tests early enough, and write my college essay during the summer.
For procrastination, that was my biggest fault. Though it may seem that August through December is a large period, following school, extracurriculars, and work, it isn’t. The time will escape you, trust me. However, some methods that helped me get through the first stages alleviated not only my brain but also the workload towards the end of the process. First, a schedule for myself helped me see clearly where I should be in the process. Such as a supplemental every two days, and that SAT studying should end at 7:00 each day after school. I also preferred timers when completing work to keep me on track, such as a 15-minute timer for brainstorming/outlining and then a 45-minute timer for just writing. With a break in the middle of the two. They helped me not only improve my procrastination but also kept me on track with little to no distractions.
One of the main reasons I was not able to submit applications during the early submission deadlines was due to my test scores. Starting my senior year, I had not taken a single – yes not a one – SAT or ACT. When I entered my junior year, I was hopeful to set up my accommodations with my counselor and take the test a couple of times, with the ultimate goal of a good score. However as you can see, my plan did not go smoothly. After getting settled into my difficult Advanced Placement classes of the year, I ventured down to the counselor’s office to ask for my accommodations to be set for the SAT. I was then directed toward our AP coordinator of Chamblee, who promptly took three weeks to request my accommodations. My accommodations then took over four months to be approved by the College Board. Though, it didn’t stop there. If your accommodations require you to need permission to use any medical device, snacks, or time and a half, expect to wait another couple of months as the AP coordinator and College Board organize these situations. This led to the only tests I would be able to take being in April or May. As you can expect, end-of-year activities often combat the time needed for studying and taking the test in general. Though that was a long-winded anecdote inspired by my pure annoyance with the process, the main theme of the story would be to organize accommodations your sophomore year, study during that summer, and then take it as many times as you can during junior/early senior year. This would allow you to be ready for those October Georgia deadlines and alleviate any application headaches.
By this time, if you’re a junior, I am sure you’ve heard your senior peers complaining endlessly over their college essays. The most important essay of our young adult lives. Planning, writing, and perfecting this essay can take, honestly, months. As someone who hasn’t finished their essay yet, here is a definitive plan all juniors should follow to avoid ending up like me. First, start brainstorming during your junior year. Some juniors have Mr. Demer for their AP Language class, and if so, really do put effort into the college assignments he plans in the first and second semesters. Not only did this aid my beginning process in deciding which colleges were the best fit for me, but it also helped me get everything in the Common Application, except the writing, done within the first couple weeks of school. Though the essay you write for the class most likely won’t be the essay you submit to colleges, practicing the style and personal touch of the essay would prove vital when brainstorming your final version. As the school year ends and you become excited about the possibility of finally being done with high school, decide on a college essay topic. For me, this was the most difficult part of the process. On average, I wrote eight college essays until I decided and wrote one that I am proud of. However, after being indecisive over the topic for once, I came upon the ideology of quality over quantity. What you write the essay about genuinely doesn’t matter, but what does matter is how that essay shows you as a person and what you can contribute to the college environment. As long as the writing, anecdotes, and personal touches are in perfect shape, you are too. Then write a not-that-rough draft over the summer with all the time available. Then, take advantage of the minds around you in the first weeks of school: teachers, students, and alumni. By using their advice and critiques, edit your essay and truly perfect it before October.
Now, if you are submitting to colleges through the early action option, October is the perfect time to complete all those repetitive supplementals that essentially ask the same question. The most important advice I can give on this subject would be that every supplemental is asking essentially the same questions. And they are only used to seeing just a little more about you, as an applicant; so no need to obsess over their perfection.
Finally, take a chill pill. Though this process is a strategic and stressful one, wherever you end up will be just right. Just make sure to put your full effort into the process and stop procrastinating, it may seem impossible now but it will all be over in January. So, spend time with your friends, family, and pets; as this is the last year you have with them before your life truly does change and shift into adulthood.
