It’s no secret that many students and parents view test prep as a necessary part of the college admissions journey. While test prep can take many forms (stand by for an article on this later), one of the most important things to consider is when to begin preparations.
For anyone emerging from the fog of deadlines and sprint finishes, congrats on making it this far! Keep reading to learn more about our tips on how an application calendar can help to keep you on track.
[Read more…] about How an Application Calendar Can Keep You On Track
Application Burnout can be a very real phenomenon for students approaching the end of a long application season. As if getting through end of year final exams wasn’t enough of a challenge, seniors now find themselves struggling to put the final finishing touches on applications—editing resumes, finalizing short answer responses, revising essays, and putting on the last few polishes. The process is long and tough but absolutely worth it. Take a look at our tips for how to finish strong and avoid application burnout.
When first starting the college application process, one of the most important things to establish is your application timeline. You’ll first want to assess any looming deadlines and then work backwards to determine how much time you’ll need to complete your application. Consider things like: Registering for tests, studying, gathering teacher recommendations, and of course, writing and perfecting your essays. When you decide to submit your applications depends on whether or not you choose to apply using either Early Action, Early Decision, or Regular Decision. Many students wonder, which option is best?
This is a question that we often get from parents of high schoolers. The truth is, it’s never too early to think generally about college, but a better question would be to determine when to start thinking actively about schools.
How are we defining general thought compared to active thought? Well, generally thinking about someday going to college means doing long term things like taking challenging courses, setting aside a college savings account, and various projects that will come to fruition by the time application season officially starts.
However, active thought requires, well, a bit more action. This is when students need to create school lists, connect with admissions officers, begin test prep, request recommendations, and start brainstorming essays.
As with any long term process, thinking about applying to college is something that can be done as early as a student’s 9th grade year, but should start no later than a student’s 11th grade spring. Spread the work out over the four years of high school — use freshman and sophomore spring breaks to visit local schools, and then visit farther campuses as graduation approaches. Admissions essay topics can be derived from any meaningful life experience, so it never hurts to stay alert and aware for any potential adventures that could be used.
The important thing to consider is that college is the next step in a student’s academic journey, and all previous stages should be aligned with that final goal. While the actual steps of putting together an application can start later, the overall goal should never be far removed from a student’s academic journey.