By Billie Nagy and Sarah Faulkner,

“It’s the most wonder… uh… stressful time of the year.” Or at least we’re pretty sure that’s what every senior is thinking right now with the college application process. Yet, while the whole thing may seem really confusing to parents and students, it doesn’t have to be if you plan ahead and get down to what is really vital for an excellent application.

Colleges start to reach out to students during their junior year. The admissions officers discuss what to expect on campus and give reasons why their schools are the best fit. However, with all of the glorious housing, food, and independence talk, the application process is rarely spoken about. It is a long and tedious process, and the essay writing takes hours and multiple meetings with Mr. Schuster to perfect.
For each application it is important to check, double check, and triple check over the entire application. Then check again for good measure. It is also important to keep deadlines in mind. The sooner an application is sent in, the sooner one is accepted and stress is relieved. Some more useful tips when starting or thinking about your college applications would be to take some time (if you have it) to build up your resume. Not only is it a great personal reflective activity, but it also helps you to consider “what am I really good at? What is my niche?” or, “what would I like to develop more?”

A second beneficial tool would be to research the exact application requirements of your colleges of interest. While a lot of colleges and universities use the Common Application, some do require extra information or go by a different system fit to their standards, so be sure to look into that when applying.

Lastly, be sure to already have teachers in mind when preparing to ask them (and ask them early before anyone else) to write you a letter of recommendation. Not only will you be ahead of the game, but also teachers now have the ability to spend more time carefully crafting the perfect letter.

Good luck to all the seniors!