Senior year is go-time. It really is the final stretch in the college application process. Hopefully you’ve been ahead of the curve and have been pacing out all of the studying, exam-taking, application-prepping, and resume-building. (If you haven’t, this one might hurt a little.) The most important part about senior year—particularly first-semester—is to get everything done early and make sure it’s done well. You’re in the home stretch. We promise, there will be time to relax second semester, but for now, keep up the effort.
Get it Done. Early.
We know we already mentioned this above, but it’s worth reiterating. Get everything done early. If you don’t have one already, create a timeline for yourself IMMEDIATELY. Highlight all important dates and work backward, determining how much time you will need to put in to accomplish your goal. Let’s start with SATs and ACTs. If you haven’t taken them already, get these out of the way now. Hopefully, you’ve been studying.
Choose the Rights Schools for You
Have you taken your standardized tests yet? If not, go back to the above paragraph. Now that that’s over with…you should also have a college list by now consisting of 8-10 schools. These schools can’t all be reaches. There should be a healthy mix of reaches, targets, and yes, safeties. The trick here is, you should be able to envision yourself (happily!) at each school on your list. Don’t just apply to the schools your friends like. Four years is a long time and while plenty of people transfer with success, it’s better to get it right the first time. (Besides, having friends at other schools whom you can visit is the best.) Prepare to apply Early Decision or Early Action in November if there’s one school that really stands out above the rest for you.
Essays
Now that you know where you’re applying, get the applications done. Start out by writing all of your supplements. Yes, for every single school on the list. The good news is, oftentimes the supplements are somewhat similar, so you can repurpose essays for each school. Each essay needs to tell a story in three parts (beginning, middle, and end). Your essays shouldn’t tell a dramatic or major existential story. You can write about something like your morning routine. They shouldn’t be redundant. What we mean by that is, they don’t need to discuss an activity that’s already on your resume. The goal here is to get the university to know something about you—a characteristic—that they can’t already glean from another part of your application. While you’re at it, fill out the Common Application. This is an easy way to cross things off the to-do list.
Breathe
This is really important, too. Take care of yourself. Get some exercise and spend time outdoors.
APs and SAT IIs
Granted we just told you to apply Early if that’s something you’re interested in, your AP scores may not count for much. But they’re still important for giving you a leg up in college. Make sure you start studying for those exams so you’re prepared for the end of the year. You don’t have to go into college with credits already completed, but it’s never a bad idea. Your older self will thank you. Either way, definitely make sure your first semester grades are tremendous.
Need help building a college list? Reach out to us here. We specialize in helping students match with their dream schools.