Five Reasons Now is the Right Time to Start the College Application Process

The college application process can seem daunting, but starting early can help you feel more prepared and confident. Whether it’s participating in college campus visits, or taking time to refine college lists and application essays, right now is the perfect time to start your college application journey as spring break approaches.

1. Identifying Best-fit Schools

Starting the college application process early provides a head start on clarifying goals for seeking a college education and identifying schools and degree programs that will best address your needs. Factors to consider include admission requirements, degree program offerings and their alignment with your career goals, rankings of these degree programs, outcomes of graduates of these programs, cost of attendance, campus safety, location and size of the student population, as well as campus culture. Have discussions with your parents – are you going to stay in-state or travel across the country for school? Are the family finances strong enough to support private tuition or should you apply to public schools or supplement private school applications with high-dollar scholarship applications?  Starting early will also help you to identify any gaps in your competitiveness so that targeted steps can be taken to address them. That being said, it is best to cover your bases by compiling college lists that are reflective of a balance of three categories: aspirational (your academic and extracurricular profile don’t quite meet the admission criteria but you could make a case for acceptance), perfect-match (your academic and extracurricular profiles are directly aligned with their average acceptance stats), and guaranteed acceptance schools (your academic and extracurricular profiles exceed their reported admission criteria). Students who apply to a combination of reach, match, and safety schools may have a better chance of receiving college acceptances.

2. Building a Strong Application Portfolio

Yes, your high school GPA matters, and yes, some schools still consider the SAT as part of their application criteria, however, never underestimate the value of a balanced profile with a mix of excellence in academic and extracurricular pursuits because extracurricular activities also play an important role in the college admissions process. Colleges admit students they think have a high likelihood of success navigating the varied challenges and responsibilities of life as college students as well as the professional world afterwards. While it is best to start building this portfolio in 9th grade, starting in the spring of sophomore year affords you the opportunity to 1) establish more solidified career plans, and 2) still have enough time to take corrective measures and enhance your application portfolio with inclusion of leadership, mentorship, and community involvement activities that might be lacking. Starting early allows you to refine your goals and be more intentional in preparing yourself for the degree program of choice. Are there summer internships for which you will only qualify if you have a certain skillset or experience? Are there student organizations that will reflect your commitment to your future career?  Are there opportunities for you to step into leadership roles after sustained involvement in a student organization? By starting early, you can amass meaningful experiences that showcase your commitment,  passion, and talent.

3. Maximizing Scholarship Options

Starting the application process early also means you will have more time to explore and apply for scholarships. If you start looking at scholarship opportunities in sophomore year, for example, you can identify scholarship eligibility requirements and build these criteria into your extracurriculars in the coming school years. Is there a scholarship that rewards high levels of volunteerism and community involvement?  Is there a scholarship for students with a particular career in mind with demonstrated commitment through participation in career-oriented student organizations and activities? Is there a scholarship that takes your SAT/ACT scores into account even though the schools to which you are applying do not require these scores? Furthermore, many high-dollar, prestigious, merit-based scholarships have deadlines in the fall or early spring of senior year.  This means you should not wait until senior year to get those leadership experiences that can help your application to stand out and increase the odds of your success.  Getting a head start on your applications can open doors to expanded funding opportunities: Your odds of scholarship success will increase by applying for many, and by applying early.

4. Polishing Your Application Essay

The college essay is a crucial component of your application, and starting early gives you ample time to brainstorm, write, revise, and perfect it. It is an opportunity for you to provide a window into who you are, your motivations in life, and your likelihood of success in college and beyond. Starting the process in 9th or 10th grade allows you to reflect on personal experiences and develop meaningful narratives. Prompts in the Common App are readily available online and often do not change very much from year to year so using these prompts to get started can help you to remember to reflect on key experiences and how they have shaped your journey and career aspirations.

5. Submission in Time for the Early Decision/Early Action Deadlines

Setting a timeline for researching schools, writing essays, securing recommendation letters, as well as preparing for, and taking standardized tests ensures that nothing is forgotten or rushed. Many colleges provide the option of applying for Early Decision or Early Action consideration. These application deadlines are typically early to mid-November with a guarantee of notification of whether you have been accepted by mid-December of your senior year. This means that you can start the spring semester of senior year settled in the knowledge that you have been accepted to the school of your choice! Schedule college tours during school breaks in your junior year and/or the summertime, stay organized by creating a spreadsheet to keep track your schools’ admission criteria, scholarship application open/closing dates, incoming class stats, your participation in extracurriculars that check the boxes for leadership, mentorship, and community involvement, as well as preparing for, and scheduling standardized tests, etc. The earlier you begin, the more manageable the process will be. The Common App, one of the most widely used application platforms, typically opens in August each year, but you can create a profile and start the application before then.  Simply transfer your application responses when the new application cycle opens in August of senior year (account rollover) and finalize your application. By familiarizing yourself with the application early, you be ready to submit sooner.

Final Thoughts

By starting the college application process now, you will avoid the last-minute rush that often causes stress in senior year. The result will be a polished and impressive list of accomplishments in your application portfolio. Seek guidance from your parents, mentors, and high school counselor to help you navigate this process. Now is the right time to begin the college application process. Take the first step today, and set yourself up for a smoother, more productive, and less stressful application season ahead!

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