Strategies to Embrace Your Process: Common App College Admissions at Your Own Pace

With the right strategy, you can approach the Common App admissions process confidently and at your own pace. This guide will walk you through the key stages of the Common App, providing practical tips and examples to help you manage your time and energy effectively.

Understanding Common App Strategies

The Common Application, or Common App, is a standardized application platform used by over 900 colleges and universities across the United States and around the world. This tool enables students to apply to multiple institutions using just one application. While convenient, the process can lead to stress if you’re not organized.

Start by creating your account early. Take time to explore the different sections, such as personal information, academic history, and extracurricular activities. Neither your parents nor your high school counselors will do your work for you. This is the time to level up the organization skills you'll need to sustain through your first semester at college. Plus, the patience required to learn all the ins and outs of new software and websites will only intensify at college. Visit our blog to make the most of your student activity list, and let's set realistic goals for your application process.

Setting a Timeline

A solid timeline is crucial for managing your application process. Begin by noting all important deadlines for each college you want to apply to. This might include:

• Application submission dates: Many colleges have different deadlines (and additional essay requirements), with early decision deadlines often falling around November 1st and regular decision deadlines in January.

• Financial aid deadlines: Be aware that some financial aid forms, like the FAFSA, typically open each year on October 1st.

  
  

• Visit our detailed checklist starting in 11th grade.

  
  

EAE's structured approach can help alleviate last-minute stress and provide ample time for revisions.

Crafting Narrative Insight Essays

Think about what makes you feel like your best self. Maybe you participated in a community garden project that benefited senior citizens, or perhaps you taught younger cousins how to swim, which led to a summer job as a lifeguard. Share such unique experiences, describing how they shaped your aspirations and helped you identify paths forward. For instance, a student who volunteered 50 hours at a shelter might discuss how that experience fortified their core values of helping others through social services.

After your first draft, have a trusted adult proofread it and make the necessary revisions. Nobody writes a perfect essay in one sitting; these things take time. For quick edits on the Common App essay and/or multiple personal insight essays, EAE has you covered!

Gathering Recommendations

Strong letters of recommendation can significantly boost your application. Approach teachers, mentors, or supervisors who know you well and will speak on your strengths and character. Reach out well in advance, ideally at least a month or earlier, before your application deadlines.

When you ask for a recommendation, provide a few bullet points in an email, like a summary of your achievements and goals. For example, you might share your GPA, any awards received, and a brief overview of your future aspirations. This information will help them craft a more personalized, impactful letter.

Final Review and Submission

As deadlines for different schools approach, allocate time for a final tweak here and there, tailoring snippets of your application to the particular mission and campus culture of each school. Again, consider having a trusted friend or family member read through your application. A fresh perspective might catch mistakes or offer suggestions for improvement that you hadn’t considered. Find a way to be okay with critical feedback because there's more of it at college, and sometimes, it stings a bit. Growth is hard, but feel confident in your submissions, knowing you've done everything possible, and then enjoy the holidays with great expectations for your future!

EAE helps you get there!

Your Path to Success

By pacing yourself through the Common App process and organizing your to-do list into manageable monthly/weekly tasks, you can minimize stress and showcase your true potential as a fully functioning young adult. This transition from high school to college produces massive emotional growth and intellectual chops—take the time to give yourself the credit you deserve. Not everyone cultivates the patience or the discipline needed to follow through on such intricate tasks. Embrace each step as a reminder that diligence is necessary from time to time--like every college semester during finals!

xx

Dr. B