Smarter Admissions

If you have a rising high school senior, the summer is prime time for working on college applications. By following an intentional timeline, your student can work in small chunks of time during the break from school to make great progress.

Think of how good it will feel when school starts again– with all of the fun that senior year brings– and your student isn’t stressed out about college applications.

Can this really happen? Yes!

A lower stress college application process usually involves adult direction. College applications are multi-part projects that often include information a teenager doesn’t know. And for any student who struggles with executive functioning skills, managing the application components in accordance with a timeline is a real test.

Here are some ways you can support your senior so they can use the time they have this summer effectively.

Start with the list

Using your child’s list of colleges to which they intend to apply, have them make a spreadsheet of all application deadlines and requirements for each school. For some schools, a transcript may be the only necessary supporting document, while other schools may need a transcript, recommendations, and multiple essays. Understanding exactly what the task is in front of them will help your student realize why starting early is such a good idea!

Get organized

The key to using the summer wisely is to get organized. Grab a calendar and note any camps, vacations, or obligations that eliminate time to work on applications. Then you’re ready to work backwards from the earliest application deadline to break up this overwhelming process into manageable pieces of work. Even one hour per week, when done consistently throughout the summer, can deliver a solid draft of an application before school starts.

Help with background information

Depending on what application your student is using, they may need some information that they don’t readily know. For example, in the background section of the Common Application, students are asked to report the parents’ occupation, employment status, education level, schools attended, and degrees earned. Most teens don’t know this information!

Travel down memory lane

Have your child list any activities they have participated in and any awards they have received. It is also suggested that they make notes of what they have learned or gained from these extracurricular activities. Having these notes will make it much easier when it is time to complete the Activities and Awards section of the application.

Approach essay writing strategically

If your child is applying to schools that require supplemental essays, many of these essays have similar topics. Your child can start brainstorming responses to common topics like “Why do you want to study this major” and “Why do you want to attend this school” to get a jumpstart on this thought- and time-intensive work. Recognizing that writing essays is not a one-time effort is important. Writing and rewriting are the way to produce top-notch work.

Review with intention

It is important to ensure that the application is reviewed by a fresh set of eyes who know your student before your child clicks SUBMIT. Ensure that personal details are correct, there are no spelling or grammatical errors in the application itself, and all important information is included. 

If this feels like an overwhelming process, that’s because it is! There is a high level of executive functioning skills necessary for teenagers to manage this important process. If you feel like your child could use support, please reach out to Study Smarter. Our college consultants can help at any step of the way. Whether you’re struggling with making a list of schools or your child needs guidance while writing essays, we’re here to help. Accountability is something our tutors do really well, so if your student would benefit from having a clear timeline to meet their deadlines, give us a call!