We are days away from the very popular admissions deadline of November 1st. The majority of Early Action and Early Decision programs have this particular deadline.
It means that high school seniors, their parents, and people like me who help them, are almost through the hardest part of the year. I've been doing this for 27 years. It never gets easy. In fact, it has gotten more complex with each year that passes.
Younger students, take note. Here are five mistakes I see every application cycle that amplify a student's stress level. Avoiding these mistakes when it’s your turn to apply to college can make this process a lot more manageable.
1. Applying to too many colleges.
The fewer schools you apply to, the more time you can spend on each application/supplement. It can also reduce the number of additional requirements, like extra essays and videos. I recommend no more than 12 colleges on a student's list.
2. Not making sure your college list is balanced.
Most students choose to apply to colleges that are nearly impossible to get admitted to based on their very low acceptance rate or because the student is not objectively competitive for the schools on their list. It's fine to apply to a few "Reach" colleges. But it's even more important to have just as many "Target" and "Likely" colleges on the list.
RELATED READING: 3 Sources To Use When Building a College List
3. Waiting until the last minute to write your main essay (the one that almost all colleges require or review).
Write your main essay over the summer between junior and senior year. While it's only 650 words, it takes focus and discipline to write it. Junior year is too soon. Senior year can be too late with all the other demands on the student's time.
4. Filling out your applications after senior year begins.
Fill out your applications over the summer, too. If there are any updates during senior year, you can make those changes easily and quickly. The hard part will already be done.
FREE DOWNLOAD: 10 Things To Do the Summer Before Senior Year
5. Taking on too much in senior year.
This is not the time to be a hero. Taking too many AP courses, working too many hours at a job, or doing too many extracurriculars, will make your life feel overwhelming. Stick to a reasonable number of AP or advanced courses and get comfortable saying "no" to things that are unnecessary. The two most important things to do during senior year are to get the strongest grades you can and meet the admissions deadlines early.
FREE DOWNLOAD: The Junior Guide
November 1st is almost here. Once it passes, I look forward to a few weeks of normalcy before everything ramps up once again for the January 1st deadlines. As younger students look on, make a commitment to yourself that you are going to stick to a reasonable plan. If you do, you will see incredible outcomes in the admissions process and be able to handle almost anything.
