<p>So I was just wondering if I can apply to colleges during the summer before my senior year. I was thinking about this, and I decided that if possible, I'd want to apply to colleges before school starts so that I can focus on academics during the fall (if it helps, I plan on applying to a few colleges in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota). Also, even if I can apply during the summer, would it be better for me to just wait until school starts to apply?</p>
<p>Right now with the Common App being released 10 days ago, you have the ability to fill out all of your college’s questions, as well as pretty much all of the supplemental essays. Depending on where you’re applying you may have to use a different application, but you get the point.</p>
<p>If you would like to get it done now, you can write all your essays, because that will be the bulk of your part of the job. However, you probably won’t be able to submit your complete application yet, because you might need to wait for your school to confirm that they are sending in transcripts and recommendations. That won’t be much work on your part (you just have to ask your teachers about recs, tell your school’s guidance office which schools you want to send transcripts to, etc), so you’ll have plenty of time for academics.</p>
<p>If you do plan to do that, you should have some schools in mind already. Then why don’t you check if it is possible for each school on your list. Those schools on CommonApp are all open for application now. However, many schools may still have the supplemental part pending. If you fill the application and write the essays as much as you can for any school now, then you are just a few clicks away to submit later on. Also, you can request the transcript and score submission now. Most important, you may still need to contact your teachers for letter of recommendation when school resumes if you have not done so already.</p>
<p>Look at individual schools. Many have applications up sometime in August. If not, you can still start getting information together, writing a resume/list of activities and achievements, making notes of things you want to get across in essays, contact potential references, run NPC on schools to be sure they’re possible financially, and double checking each school for requirements like SAT II and deadlines.</p>