If you’re a senior in high school, you might be experiencing application stress. Additionally, procrastination may be affecting your work. You can reduce your anxiety while finishing a task by effectively managing your time. You are capable of completing everything. These tips will help you set and adhere to all of your significant academic deadlines.
Keep track of the various deadlines
Make sure to submit all of your application’s components on time:
- THE APPLICATION
This is the main thing you’re submitting to the college. It can be done using the Coalition App, the Common App (which is the most popular and is used by over 900 schools), or the individual college application portals. Your demographic data, activities list, honours, essay, any additional essays, teacher/counsellor letters of recommendation, and more are all included in this application. The majority of institutions have various deadlines depending on whether you apply through the Early Action, Early Decision, or Regular Admission processes. - MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS
You must visit the websites of each college to which you are applying because this one can be a little tough. Many institutions that offer merit aid may automatically evaluate you for their scholarships if you apply by a certain deadline, even if some colleges require extra applications (often the Early Action deadline). However, certain colleges, but not all, will demand additional essays for certain grants. Make sure you do your research prior to applying. - FINANCIAL AID PAPERWORK
FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid must be submitted to be considered for need-based aid, and depending on the college, merit aid applications may also require this. It starts on October 1 and ought to be finished by the college application deadline.
CSS Profile: Many universities have distinct financial profiles that families must complete to be eligible for institutional aid. This needs to be finished by the deadline for college applications. - TEST RESULTS
Do you intend to submit your ACT or SAT results? Many universities require an official score report to be received along with your application, even though you can self-report your scores on the Common App. These can be bought through CollegeBoard.org (for the SAT). We recommend ordering official results at least three weeks ahead of your application deadline.
PLAN AHEAD
Many students argue that there is never enough time. This is untrue, though. Everything hinges on how you use it. When individuals are grumbling that they only have so much time, having a smart plan will help you accomplish a lot.
The majority of pupils begin their work without a strategy and struggle since they have nothing to lead them. By making a schedule, you can get past that. Once you are aware of your deadline, work backwards. Make a list of the colleges you are applying to and arrange the list according to the application dates. Make sure you are aware of the requirements for each college, including the word count and essay prompts. It will inform you of the workload you have and the time needed to do each task.
Take note of a connection between the requirements, and change your previous submission for a different institution. College essay writing is challenging, and many students find it difficult to fulfil the criteria. Only when you come up with a solid plan and follow it will you succeed. To keep track of your internal deadline, use a calendar. If you have three months to turn in your work, make sure to finish everything a few weeks beforehand. To prevent delays, set deadlines for writing, editing, and mailing essays.
WORK BACKWARDS
When you are aware of the deadline for your final application, start by defining targets around that time. If you’re like other high school seniors, you’re using early action to apply to at least one institution. Many colleges have a November 1st deadline for early action applications. We frequently advise students to prepare a buffer in case anything needs to be changed or revised. We frequently advise students to allow extra time for revisions and changes, so they should have everything finished and prepared to turn in around 10 days earlier than expected. The ideal date to finish an early action application would be October 21.
DIVIDE UP LARGER WORKS INTO MANAGEABLE CHUNKS
Do you have a big personal statement essay? Do you find it difficult to begin your list of activities? Make your large piece more manageable by breaking it up. Here are two approaches to solving this:
Divide a task into achievable, more manageable steps. Fill out the Common App responses for one college each day until you have finished them all if you are applying to six universities, each of which has a different set of questions.
Set aside a specific amount of time each day for major tasks. Schedule 20 minutes every day at the same time on your calendar to do that last supplemental essay. You’ll be done for the day in only 20 minutes. It is quite rewarding to know that you are working towards completion.
ORGANISE YOUR ESSAY WRITING APPROACH
Your writing style and response to the essay prompt reveal a lot about your skills. An application essay requires more time than a Saturday afternoon to write. An excellent essay must go through several stages; thus, writing one takes time. You must first comprehend what the prompt is asking you to provide. You must submit a piece that accurately captures the selection committee’s attention and reacts to the question. You must develop your essay, take the input of many people, and then edit it to make the required adjustments. To ensure that your essay is flawless, you might need to get it proofread. If you require professional assistance, you must arrange for it, provide your assignment, and give them enough time to evaluate your writing.
HOW CAN ROSTRUM HELP YOU?
Do you want to develop a successful application? Trust professionals to help you. At Rostrum, our expert mentors can help you meet the criteria that admissions officers are looking for. They are aware of the requirements for each challenge and the appropriate way to showcase your work. Do not struggle alone because we are here to help. To find out all you need to know about college applications, book a free call today.