<p>I see people already starting on their essays and some are even finished. Is this application process/essays that complicated that people have to start this early or will I be fine starting in August?</p>
<p>It depends. How many colleges do you plan to apply for? All use common app? Need other essays for scholarships or admission? Too many variables for a simple answer.</p>
<p>It depends on how quickly you can write something good, and on how much you expect your writing to mature this summer.
I don’t think you have to start them now…I’m just doing it because I like to write, and I want to have time to get a lot of feedback.</p>
<p>I’m on the same boat as OP, I’ll be applying to top schools and such, but I don’t want to start the admissions process until August…</p>
<p>Yea most use common all but I have A LOT of supplements so I guess I should get some ideas rolling.</p>
<p>Maybe you don’t have to start now, but I would strongly encourage you to do it over the summer when you have more time. My younger daughter worked with a counselor. She had her main essay done and have a good draft of most important supplement essays done by end of summer. My older daughter didn’t do that because we were not as informed first time around. It made a huge difference for our younger one because she was less stressed in the fall, so she was able to perform well in school, which was also a very important semester. </p>
<p>One other piece advice I would give is that even if you are going to apply EA/ED, you should try to get all of your applications done before EA/ED announcement. Most students get very upset and frazzled when rejected/deferred, and that’s not the best time in trying to write 10+ essays. It happened to our older daughter. She wrote most of her essays through tears. Our younger one had all 12 applications ready to go, but was fortunate to be admitted ED.</p>
<p>August is fine. Most people have more time in the summer because they have homework and other demands once school starts. Writing essays and applications is harder when school is in session.</p>