With the summer starting, I know many seniors have begun their journey into college admissions. This whole process can be daunting, but it doesn't always have to be. Here are a few things I wish I knew before I started:
You Don't Have to Look at the Prompts
I know what you're thinking. "How am I supposed to write my personal statement without knowing what they're asking me?" That's the point. It's a personal statement. It shouldn't be defined by a prompt or a question. "To define is to limit" - Oscar Wilde. Don't limit yourself by the parameters of the prompt. Your personal statement is one of the most important essays you'll ever write. You're asked to define yourself in 625 words or less. That's no easy task. So please, do yourself a favor and don't make it any harder for yourself.
Create a New Email
Make a new email dedicated for college admissions. This helps keep all the information in one place and prevents anything from getting lost. This new email should be what you use to log into CommonApp, email colleges for any inquiries, and anything else pertaining to this whole process. One of my counselors gave me this advice and I'm sooooo glad I listened.
Stay Organized
This sounds counterintuitive, but it really makes all the difference. Create a master list with all of your universities. CommonApp already does this for you, but it doesn't hurt to make your own! Define which schools are your safeties, targets, and reaches. Your master list should have basic information about all the schools and the application deadlines.
Create a Timeline
I know this sounds really extra, but it really helped putting deadlines into perspective. I applied Early Admissions to several universities, which meant I had to finish up my application earlier than the normal deadline. Creating a timeline really helped me to visualize how much time I had left to work on my applications. If you're a visual person like me, I highly suggest creating a timeline!
Start Early
This last one might not be applicable to everyone, but it really made a difference in my application process. I started writing my personal statement around July, which is a month before the prompts open. But remember what I said...you don't have to abide by the prompts! Once I got that out of the way, I started on supplementals that are more specific to each school. Many schools require you to write multiple supplementals. Since these take more care and research, it took me longer to finish them. I was done with all my regular decision applications by Early November. I personally needed more time for this whole process which is why I'm glad I started early.
I want to sign off by saying that this process can be really overwhelming, but you've got this! Remind yourself how hard you've worked over the past 4 years and let this be proof of that. I am in no way an expert when it comes to the college admissions process, but I wanted to share some things that helped me along the way. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or sign up for a free mentorship meeting on my page. Good Luck to you all!
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