Is it possible to begin working on college applications the summer before my senior year? I am going to be extremely busy once school starts and during the winter and would like to get anything I can done way in advance. If it’s possible, how do i start and what can I work on during the summer?
yeah, it’s possible. it’s a good idea, actually. the CommonApp opens August 1st, but you can start thinking of ideas for essays before that. the questions don’t change much from year to year. you can also look on the websites of schools you like to start supplements even earlier, but try to make sure that they are updated for the year you’re applying. the essays take longest time, so if you want to get a head start, you could definitely start working on those during the summer.
@paragus thank you! sorry, what are supplements? also, if the schools I am applying to don’t use the common app, will the essays change more or can I pretty much write those ahead of time too?
I recommend getting as much done over the summer as you can! My first quarter of senior year was extremely stressful. Essays usually don’t change that much from year to year, but some do. Besides your common app essay, there’s usually gonna be:
- why are you applying to our school
- elaborate on an extracurricular
- why does this area of study interest you
I’ve used variations of these topics to answer most supplemental prompts.
YES, absolutely!!
Get those essays done before school starts!!!
Some schools want an additional essay. Take a look at the common app this year; I can’t imagine it changing all that much for next year.
Supplements are additional things the college may ask for. Most very selective colleges require (or strongly suggest) supplemental essays for example. Each college will tell you what those are. Brown for example requires five or six extra essays. Some colleges just want on extra essay. The supplemental essays are often very short. Additionally supplements could be your own, I.e., visual arts, performance videos, etc… Colleges ask for those types of supplement tS to be handled in different ways. If a college says that supplemental essays are optional, take the option of,doing them. Unless your credentials are stellar, you need all the help you can get.
Yes, you can definitely start working on essays during the summer before senior year, but be aware that you might not be in the mental mindset to work on essays to the best of your ability until you are fully immersed in senior year. You may even have experiences in the first few months of your senior year that would be excellent topics for supplemental essays (if you take on a leadership role in an EC as a senior, for example).
It never hurts to get the gears turning during the summer, though. But be open to editing and re-writing in October and November if you have new experiences or feel as if your mindset has matured or changed.