I am currently a Junior and was wondering when people starts writing their essays. I heard that the supplement essays for colleges don’t come out until august but I saw that the essay topics for common app came out. I think I should probably start soon because I am really bad with writing essays. Do people USUALLY write their essays during the summer or during the senior year?
After being a parent on this board for a few months, I am beginning to feel guilty that I didn’t have my kids start their essay first drafts while still in kindergarten. I feel so far behind…
Late summer–summer activities between jr and sr year are often good sources of stories, after all.
This all depends on the person. Personally, I will start attempting to write mine in the summer: the earlier you start, the better. If you try and wait till the last minute, or even in your senior year with piles of homework on top of that, it might not be your best work. You want a stellar essay that shows who you are.
But here’ s the thing. You shouldn’t try to force something out in order to have it done by the start of your senior year. If you don’t know what you want to write, it’s okay, you still have time, but try to think about it over the summer. By continuing to think about it and brainstorm, something genius might come to you. You do not want something rushed or to try to base your essay of the first thing that has come to your mind.
So long story short, start thinking about it over the summer. If you have a good idea, work on it because you still have the whole summer, but don’t think it has to be done by then. Also, don’t wait till you only have like a month left because you don’t want it to be rushed, you want to think about it and let others (parents, teachers, peers) look over it.
My junior D will start writing as essay prompts come out this summer and hopes to be done before school starts.
My kids started in the summer before senior year so they could show it to an English teacher in the fall. Both kids applied either ED/EA so they wanted a good draft done sooner rather than later.