Class 2012: College apps and common app essay

<p>Hi everyone! I'm a rising senior and a bit overwhelmed with all the apps I have to do for the colleges I will be applying to ( new England liberal arts, like Hamilton and Wesleyan). </p>

<p>I was just wondering how far along everyone else is?
Have you written your common app essay yet? I keep trying to start it with no luck
I've only filled in the other common app info and completed my resume. </p>

<p>Hope this can be a forum to discus the application process for anyone that's interested :)</p>

<p>I’ve filled out most of the general common app info except for a few portions of the academics page. I’ve also completed both my personal statement and extra curricular essay. Moreover, I’ve sent out my recs and begun completing my arts supplement.</p>

<p>I’m applying to Stanford REA, so I’ve written my short answers and two out of three essays for that so far…I think I’m a little farther than I need to be at this point, but I really just want to get what I can done before Senior year begins. </p>

<p>If anyone has any questions or wants to go over ideas, I’d be happy to assist :)</p>

<p>Wow! Brownford you have done so much!
Anyone else?</p>

<p>I finally finished the first draft of my common app essay, after several unsuccessful tries. I have the rest of it filled out, also. I’ve asked for my two teacher recommendations. I still have one of the essays left for Georgetown, but I have an outline. I’m just waiting until October when I visit it in case I decide radical changes are necessary.</p>

<p>My common app is completed but I still have one essay and two supplements left. One of the supplements hasn’t been released yet, and one is only ~150 words :P</p>

<p>Don’t be too overwhelmed!
I’m filling out everything on paper first, but I haven’t really started that. On my commonapp.org account, I only filled out the most basic information, and I looked at every single supplement and compiled a list of supplemental essay topics. I haven’t even completed my activities list yet.</p>

<p>I don’t want to rush into the writing. Since I’m a creative writer, I write every day, some days for longer times than others. One of my freewrites really satisfied me, so I was able to make a rough draft for my personal statement from it. If you’re having a lot of trouble starting your essays, sit down for 10-15 min each day and write whatever’s on your mind. Don’t worry about grammar or anything like that. It’ll probably come out as a jumbled mess at first, but you never know if you’ll find an interesting essay topic! If you have no idea what to write about, you can probably find a bunch of “writing prompts” by typing that into google.</p>

<p>Plus, it’s August. Early August. I get to spend more time with myself over the summer, so I learn a bit about myself each day. In a couple weeks, I’m returning to a camp I’ve gone to for the past two years (this time as a counselor), where I’ve made a lot of personal growth in the past, and then I’ll be off in the wilderness for another week. Who knows what I’ll learn about myself towards the end of August? Who knows if I’ll learn something in the first month of school that I’ll feel strongly connected to? Who knows what life throws at you?</p>

<p>Wait for your lemons. You and anyone else going through this process shouldn’t feel pressured to know exactly how to package yourself into a college application right away!</p>

<p>Update: Just finished the first draft of my common app essay today! Very happy. It of course needs a lot of editing, but I am taking a college essay course for a few days during August at my school so it will improve there
I’ve had two interviews, have another set up for this week and more during september.
We are all very ahead! I actually know many people that haven’t even toured a single school…</p>

<p>Well, I’ve filled out everything on the Common App… still waiting back for some updates/results to add to my Extracurriculars section. I finished my short essay on an EC and I also finished my first draft of my Common App Main Essay. I also finished my Princeton supplement, as I’m applying SCEA. And I’ve also got 3 teacher recommendations being written over the summer that will be ready on the first day of school. However, none of these essays are set and I’m pretty picky/finicky about my writing even though it’s generally pretty good so I’ll probably hash out new ideas and such.</p>