<p>I'm applying to about 15 colleges (as a homeschooled international) RD this autumn. Should I only start working on essays at the end of the summer when all the supplements have come out? Or would it be worth trying to do as many as possible now?</p>
<p>Thanks :).</p>
<p>Start ASAP! I started in like April and have only about 4 essays completely wrapped up by now.</p>
<p>Now!!!</p>
<p>And then let the drafts sit for a few weeks; then come back to them fresh and edit.</p>
<p>By starting early you can schedule in time for other people to edit them, and for you to make rethink and edit reflecting their suggestions. College essays are not a one-shot deal, like an AP exam. They are a multi-month, multi round process X 15. </p>
<p>Be sure to set up both a paper and electronic file system for all the version, edits and variations. Set up a file naming standard that identifies the college/type and version. Embed the file name in the footer, so that you know what you looking at - but remove it when you send the final (40th version) to the colleges. Applying to 15 colleges is about information and records management, as well as who you are. </p>
<p>Admin director at Columbia sees a consistent correlation between messy, poorly thought out applications and applications filed in the last weeks before the deadline. You don’t want to be painted with that same brush. Start early; file early.</p>
<p>Now, if you haven’t already!</p>
<p>Trust me, you’re going to go through a lot of periods of feeling discouraged by the crappiness of your writing before you come up with your final draft.</p>
<p>Okay, I’ll get down to it immediately :). Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>I started more than a month a ago and I have not got anything good yet…</p>