Tips for the Collegebound Senior

College application deadlines loom in the near future for many seniors across the U.S., and as many frantically work to finish their applications in time. For those who are applying early, this may reach your ears too late. But for those applying for regular decision, and for those who will be applying in the years to come, here are a few important tips to keep in mind that will make the application process a bit easier.

First off, if you haven't taken all your standardized tests yet, get on that as soon as possible! Those are the obstacles easiest to get over, so you want to take care of those as soon as possible to get them out of the way, giving you more time to focus on the actual application and essay(s). Also, by taking it earlier on, you get a chance to see how you did, and will hopefully allow you enough time to take the test atleast one more time. However, chances are if you waited until senior year, and you're applying early, you'll only get one shot. If that's the case, then I would recommend doing preparation during the summer; don't wait until a week before to cram. If you spread it out, and do like fifteen practice questions a day across a month, you'll get a LOT more out of it.

Next, if you are applying to a large number of colleges, I suggest that you narrow down your lists based on your planned majors/minors and what the college offers in your field of interest. If you don't know what you hope to major in, then I would suggest visiting different colleges to get a feel for the campus, the professors whom you may meet there, and the student body. Even if you already know where you want to apply, a visit wouldn't hurt. It shows the college your interests in their school, making you a better candidate. And if you can contact a professor or a faculty member, it would be in your best interest to meet with them, and just talk. This will give the professor an idea of you as a potential student, and if you impress them, they may even put in a good word for you or tell you something that you hadn't known before. Also, if your list of colleges seems ridiculously long, you might want to check out the Common Application. It's a great tool that lets you fill out one application, and send it to any school that accepts it. You still have to pay each colleges' fees if you choose this method, and you may also have to complete supplements (short, individual pages) for each school. Overall, this has the potential to save you tons of time. Who knows, maybe every single school you plan on applying to accepts the Common Application!

Finally, my last bit of advice concerns the application and essay. When working on the application and its corresponding essay, you must always be aware of the deadline date, and aim to finish it ahead of time (preferably a week or two). This gives you a chance not only to look over your application, but also gives the college time, after you submit it, to put everything into their database. The time it takes for the college to receive everything from your application, to your standardized test scores, to your recommendations could take a few weeks, so the sooner you start getting that, the better! Also, it's imperative that you finish the draft of your essay as soon as possible, giving time for others to read and look over it. Often times, when writing, I will miss something that a friend will spot when he/she goes through it. However, don't rely solely on your friends. Teachers, counselors, and even parents can provide great insight into your essay, and often it is they who offer the best constructive criticism.

Completing college applications is easily one of the most stressful processes any high school student will go through. Not only can it be annoying having to complete applications, but it can also be difficult and stressful to come up with something good to write your essays about. Especially since the essay topics are often narrowed down to more specific topics. On this matter, the best advice I can give is to be yourself and to ask others what they think of you. However, if you follow some of this simple and basic advice, you'll be able to make more time for yourself to focus on the aspects you may be having trouble with. Best of luck with whatever you may have coming.