College application season is upon us! While some students are elbows-deep in their applications already, others are blissfully unaware of the workload ahead. Here are some of Aristotle Circle’s top tips for a successful – and less stressful! – application season.
1. Do get organized.
You won’t know how much work you need to do until you create your application accounts, log in, and load up your dashboard. If you are applying to schools that use their own applications, like UC, Georgetown, MIT, or even CUNY, you’ll have a different username and password for each one. After you submit your applications, you’ll have to log in to each school’s applicant portal to track your documents. While using a password manager is useful, it won’t help you if you try to access your accounts on a computer at school or the library. Keep an organized spreadsheet, notebook, or document with all your information in one place.
2. Don’t wait to fill in your major or campus of choice.
Many universities have school- or major-specific supplemental essay prompts. Sometimes, the prompts don’t appear until after the campus or major has been selected. This is true of Northeastern, for example, which requires two supplemental essays for students applying to their London campus but none for those applying to go to Boston. Fill this information out early so you aren’t surprised at the last minute.
3. Do recycle essays when you can.
Many schools have similar essay prompts whose responses can be re-used or recycled. To be clear: we are not talking about Why Us? essays, which should always be written from scratch to be authentic to the school you’re applying to. We’re talking about essays that ask you to “expand on the extracurricular activity most important to you,” or “describe a time when your perspective has been challenged,” which are common prompts across schools.
4. Don’t write about the same thing twice.
If you’ve written your personal statement about your sport, you don’t need to write about it again in a supplemental essay. Try to choose topics that are relevant to the different parts of your life, personality, and interests. The admissions officers only know what you tell them – so try to get as much of yourself onto paper as you can.
5. Do communicate with your parents or guardians.
While the college applications need to be filled out by the student, there are some questions only a parent or guardian would know, like where your mom went to college or what year your dad graduated from high school. Ask a parent or other trusted adult to review your selections to make sure that everything makes sense, and that you haven’t accidentally selected something you shouldn’t have.
Overwhelmed?
Aristotle Circle is here to help. It’s not too late to sign on for a comprehensive college admissions counseling package, which includes unlimited one-to-one meetings with our team of NACAC-certified college admissions counselors, essay tutors, and resume pros. Call today (212-360-2301) or email us at info@aristotlecircle.com for a free consultation.
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