Summer is upon us, which means college application season is officially in full swing! Rising seniors seeking admission to top schools must buckle down and get to work, as the coming weeks are bound to be packed with summer jobs, volunteer work, educational programs, and yes – writing essays for college applications.

While the prompts for the Common App essay have been available since early spring, this is not the only essay students must complete.

Each college and university will have its own application supplement, including questions about a student’s intended major, background information, and other data points. In addition, many schools require applicants to write between one and six supplemental essays. While not every school requires a supplemental essay, top schools often require several. This means that for students applying to ten, twenty, and thirty schools, those supplemental essays add up! It becomes a lot of work, and can quickly become overwhelming.

Aristotle Circle always encourages students to work on the majority of their essays over the summer. These next few weeks will pass quickly, especially for students who have vacations, sleep-away camps, sports, and other activities that fill their days. It is important to plan appropriately.

So when do supplemental essay prompts become available?

Typically, schools will begin releasing supplemental essay prompts in mid-summer. However, some schools don’t release their prompts until the Common App opens on August 1st, and some schools wait even longer – and their supplements are not ready when the Common App opens.

It is important to stay on top of the school websites and seek out the information early. This way, you will have the maximum amount of time to complete your essays.

Overwhelmed?

Aristotle Circle’s team of college admissions counselors guide students and families through every step of the college application process. Call 212-360-2301 today for a consultation to see what we can do for you.