With multiple components and deadlines, the college application process can be daunting for some students. Since prospective students are often juggling college applications alongside high school classes and activities, experts say it’s easy to fall behind or procrastinate.
“Procrastination is a stress response, and it makes sense that some students who are anxious about the college process will avoid working on their applications in a timely fashion,” Angela Warfield, principal consultant and founder of admissions consulting firm Compass Academics, wrote in an email.
“This can become a real problem if students wait too long to request transcripts, test score reports or letters of recommendation. Since the students need to rely on other people to submit these materials, they need to make sure to give those people as much time as possible to get those materials in before deadlines.”
There are some exceptions where applications are accepted later, and schools that offer rolling admissions may be good last-minute options for students. But May 1 has traditionally been the decision deadline across higher education, even earning the name “College Decision Day,” so students typically need to follow that timeline. If a student is applying for early decision or early action, there will be even earlier deadlines to submit application materials.
[Read: When to Apply to College]
A well-thought-out plan, anchored by a few organizational tips, can keep students on track with college applications. Here are four tips that experts say students can follow to complete their college applications on time.
— Start planning early.
— Create a detailed checklist.
— Ask for recommendation letters early.
— Budget time for application essays.
Start Planning Early
Because there are multiple steps involved in applying to college, many of which require help from other people, experts say the most foolproof method to alleviate anxiety is to start early.
The Common App, which is used by more than 1,000 schools, opens Aug. 1 each year, meaning students can’t officially submit applications through the platform until then. But those looking to get a head start can create an account during their junior year and get familiar with the platform, says Denard Jones, lead college counselor at Empowerly, a college admissions consulting company.
And though it may not be as fun as relaxing by the pool or hanging out with friends, students would be wise to use the the summer months ahead of senior year — when they have no academic obligations — to begin or complete college application tasks, such as completing any write-ups for the extracurricular or activities section, experts say.
Otherwise, “it makes the fall of your senior year that much more hard,” Jones says. “Because you still have to do academic work, you still have to go through the semester, and now you’re trying to pull all this information together.”
Create a Detailed Checklist
Keeping track of the various application requirements and deadlines can be streamlined with a checklist. School counselors and independent college counselors can typically provide students with a checklist, and the College Board also provides a list for students and parents to use.
Universities also typically have an application checklist on their website, which may include directions or items specific to them.
[Learn common reasons why college applications get rejected.]
If applying to multiple colleges, students and parents may also want to create a master spreadsheet or other document to keep track of deadlines and when parts of the application are complete. Setting up reminders on a digital calendar for important dates can also help, experts say.
“Dates to consider include: application deadlines, testing date/score submissions deadlines, dates for recommenders to submit letters of support and important scholarship deadlines,” Warfield says.
Ask for Recommendation Letters Early
Letters of recommendation from teachers, school counselors and other sources are important to providing college admissions officers deeper context and colorful details about applicants. Like personal essays, they can help humanize applicants and give schools an idea of whether a student would succeed academically or fit in socially within their campus culture.
A strong recommendation can tip the scales in a student’s favor, especially in situations where there are academic blemishes. A weak or vague letter may reflect poorly and cause an application to stand out for the wrong reasons, experts say.
Students should choose the right people to write letters, such as teachers or counselors who know them best. It’s equally important to give recommendation writers enough notice so they aren’t asked to craft a hastily written letter.
Richard Tench, a school counselor at St. Albans High School in West Virginia, suggests giving recommenders at least two weeks to complete the letter, but in some cases it may be wise to ask even earlier.
“That will provide them the time to say yes or no,” he says, “but that also provides them the time to think about it and write a comprehensive letter.”
Some teachers are pressed for time and commit to writing a limited number of recommendation letters each year. Once those spots are booked, students shouldn’t be surprised if their request is denied. This could force students to pivot to a recommender who doesn’t know them as well.
“The more time you give a recommender to write, the better,” Jones says. “That way, hopefully it won’t be this template that’s just cut and paste and doesn’t really help the admissions offices much.”
Budget Time for Application Essays
Personal statements are often the most time-consuming and stressful part of the application process, Warfield says. But this is another area where students can get a head start during their junior year or the summer before their senior year.
[Read: How to Write a College Essay.]
The Common App typically announces essay questions for the upcoming application cycle in January or February, giving students ample time to prepare for or begin writing the essays. Warfield recommends students begin working on essays in early June, ahead of their senior year, which allows more time to edit and perfect their essays with peers or trusted mentors.
Schools that require supplemental essays vary on when those prompts are announced, but Warfield says students should start on them as early as possible and “work smarter, not harder” when completing them.
“Look for similar themes and questions where your answers aren’t likely to change,” such as what you want to major in or what community means to you, she says. “You can revise these essays to be school-specific, but not completely rewrite them. Don’t duplicate your efforts.”
Starting on essays early can be particularly helpful for students who struggle or need additional assistance with writing the essay, she says, adding that students who procrastinate may be tempted to rely on another person or an artificial intelligence tool such as ChatGPT to write their essay. While some colleges are using AI in admissions, colleges expect the personal statement to be a student’s authentic writing.
“As someone who’s evaluated student writing for 30 years, it is not that hard to spot an AI-generated college essay,” Warfield says. “If students try to use AI as a shortcut, colleges use AI detectors and seasoned admissions readers to detect derivative material.”
This could be anything created by AI technology, and use of such language in essays could harm an applicant’s admissions chances, experts say.
Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.
More from U.S. News
Completing the FAFSA: Everything You Should Know
How Colleges Choose Which Students to Admit
Everything You Need to Know About College Rolling Admissions
4 Tips to Complete College Applications on Time originally appeared on usnews.com
