Some rising seniors start working on their essays the summer before senior year. My kids’ GC and English teachers required all juniors to hand in a draft of their common app essay in April of their junior year. This was a graded assignment and really helped give them a jump on the common app.
The year that my D applied, the high school didn’t have transcripts or GC recommendations available to be sent out until late September. My D applied early to two rolling admission schools and we knew from the portals that the transcripts were received in early October. Both accepted her soon after so while it was annoying to wait for the school to process the transcript request, in the end it really didn’t make a difference.
Don’t sweat it.
Many/most kids simply do not have the whole package pulled together this early. Tons of kids, for example, are still taking SAT (8/26 or 10/7) or ACT (9/9) to get higher scores. And this is the time of year that the college admissions folks are on the road visiting high schools. I don’t think they are doing much app reading this early.
I do think it is increasingly important to make very good use of the early part of the app cycle (rolling, EA, ED). Doing that really helps the overall process in so many ways. I think having at least one 100% complete app submitted by 10/1 or 10/15 is a pretty common goal these days.
We had two acceptances in mid September. D logged in just to check if they got her application and it said “Status: Accepted” We were like, “What, really, already???”
They were schools that had their own app and didn’t use common app. Can’t remember if she self reported or sent unofficial transcript through junior year when she applied. I think what made a difference was she was in the upper percentile (prob top 10%) of applicants to these schools, so I am guessing they accepted her early to show sincere interest (which works btw) and they have the rest of the year to get official documents.
But agree with @northwesty, don’t sweat it. It’s not a race. Just hit those early scholarship deadlines or other formal EA/ED deadlines and rolling admissions that could give you an edge in aid or admissions.
My D’s school won’t even have transcripts ready until mid-September. I agree with the don’t sweat it advice.
One thing to note: although most early deadlines are November 1, we have run across a few that are October 15, so just be sure to check each school’s early app deadline.
Both the FAFSA and Profile now become available for submission at the beginning of October. If your student is applying for need based aid, there are some forms of aid that are awarded on a first come first served basis…meaning the early filers have a better chance than later ones of getting things like…federal work study, SEOG, and Perkins Loans…all have limited funding PER college campus.
So…I would suggest getting applications done on the early side. Submit YOUR part, and do your financial aid applications as well. Get the requests for the school info in ASAP.
And I’m not just talking about early action! I’m talking regular decision as well. Think how nice your senior year will be without having college application stuff hanging over your head!
Yes…at many schools, seniors meet with the GC fall of senior year. But that doesn’t mean youmcant sub,it applications prior to that time…if you really know where you want to apply.
And for students in the fine arts that require an audition…schools won’t even let you schedule an audition until your application is submitted,…so again…earlier is better.
My daughter applied to 5 schools. One did not require essays, counselor letter or teacher recommendations, and she applied as soon as the application became available in July. Two did not require essays or teacher recommendations, but did require a counselor letter. She applied in August, before school started, but the application wasn’t complete until the counselor provided his letter (a month later). Two required essays, and she completed those applications on the final day for priority admission, which was November 1. None of the schools to which she applied used the common application. Guidance counselors did not review applications and did not work in the summer. They did require both student and parents to write “puff pieces” to help them with the counselor letters, and the counselor letter would not be provided until those were completed.
My D’s school has a long series of steps to be done to officially request LORs and the counselor report. The earliest appointment available for the final step in that is at the end of Sept, so no LORs are going out before that. D did ask her teachers early and she filled out the official survey and sent her answers directly to the teachers unofficially at the beginning of summer. She was hoping they might write the letters while the school year was fresh in their minds. No idea whether they did. But they have all the info and will get the official request a few weeks from now.
Her first deadline is Nov 1 and she’ll probably get that app done by mid Oct. I hope then the rest of them will be easier.
@“beth’s mom” What is “puff pieces”?
@daffodilpetunia Why is the survey required for a LOC? I must be missing something. It sounds like in order to get a LOC, a student has to do a lot of leg work for the content of the letter?
@MomtoAndrew2018 It’s specific to our school. And yes, at our school, the students have to do a lot of leg work. The survey is actually really well put-together. It asks for anecdotes about things you are particularly proud of in each teacher’s class, attributes you are hoping the teacher will emphasize, etc. It’s a big school, and it makes sense to me to help the teachers write you a really good letter. But it’s a lot of work on the student.
@daffodilpetunia I see. That actually makes sense.
Just my way of describing the essay/letter you write to the guidance counselor that details your child’s many wonderful attributes. So-called because so many of the parents/kids in my area shamelessly brag and exaggerate in them.
Our school literally calls them Brag Sheets. They must be completed, one by students and one by parents, before the school will do anything with your applications.
Ok, it sounds like the substance of LOCs are actually from students AND parents???
@MomtoAndrew2018 Yes. Too many students. Our school was work to rule last year. Teachers filled out lame forms. I’m going to have my 11th grader ask from recommendations early, early so we don’t have any drama. He’ll finish the common app and essays in the summer. He likes writing so getting essays done won’t be the pain in the neck it was for his brother. Submission by mid October is plenty early where we are.
Non common app colleges, especially large public universities, have their own applications and may open in July (Alabama, Florida, Arizona, Texas). Some popular majors may well be filled by late October so students from these states may well apply early in order to secure a place or have a shot at their favorite major.