Q: When should applicants begin their personal statements?

A: Rising seniors should aim to begin essays in June or July and complete them by early August. This will enable applicants to focus on supplemental essays in August, before school begins.

Q: How many colleges should an applicant apply to this fall?

A: In order to have a variety of options, students should aim to apply to approximately 10-12 schools during the fall of senior year. Schools should be categorized in the following way: Reach, Match and Safety.

Q: How do I determine if a school is a Reach, Match or Safety school?

A: A “Reach” school is a college that a student is less likely to be admitted into as an applicant. Some scores may fall within the range of what is typical at the university but other scores may not. For “Reach” schools, it is important to highlight other areas of the application or work to improve odds by demonstrating an interest. A "Match" school is a college that a student is likely to be accepted into when applying to college, as transcript scores and ACT/SAT scores fall within the range of what is common for the undergraduates who attend the school. Finally, a “Safety” school is a college where a student is very likely to be admitted, as all test scores and grades exceed the average of current undergraduates.

Q: Should I apply early decision?

A: Applying early decision is binding, which means that if a student is admitted, he or she must attend the school. Students can only apply early decision to one school, and they must be certain that they are committed to attending the college or university. Keep in mind, however, that the acceptance rate is often higher for students who apply early decision.

Q: Do I need to complete optional supplemental essays?

A: Yes. When it comes to college admissions, “optional” is not an option. Complete all optional supplemental essays in order to have the edge necessary to be admitted into your top choices.

Q: How do I demonstrate an interest when applying to a college I hope to attend?

A: Colleges want to know whether or not applicants are authentically interested in attending their school. As a result, make sure that you do the following to demonstrate that you truly want to be a part of the college community:

• Visit the school and take a tour.

• Interview while on campus.

• Visit academic departments and connect with professors who teach classes in the subject area you hope to major in as a student.

• If possible, sit in on a class or two.

• Write thank you notes to admissions officers and professors who took the time to interview you or speak with you.

• Speak with the local representative who visits your high school and correspond with him or her through email.

• If you are a sophomore or junior, apply to high school summer programs at your top colleges.

Q: I have so many supplemental essays to complete. How do I organize my supplemental essays? What should I write about?

A: The best way to keep track of your supplemental essays is to organize the assignments into a spreadsheet. Make sure you put the deadlines and required word count on the spreadsheet as well, so that you can prioritize appropriately. The essays should be polished, thoughtful pieces of writing. In other words, do not rush your work. The most common question asked is:

Why do you want to attend (insert college name)?

Make sure you provide a detailed, specific answer to the “Why us?” prompt. Do not talk about the beauty of the campus. Instead, discuss what makes the school unique and ideal for you. I recommend keeping a notebook when visiting colleges. Students typically write down what they liked best about a particular university. They then use that information for applications in the fall of senior year.

Q: Is it okay if I do not know what I want to major in when I apply to college?

A. Yes and no.....Larger universities require that you apply to a specific school within their university, and it can be very difficult to transfer programs once you are accepted. As a result, for certain careers and majors, you need to know what you want to major in as an applicant. Liberal arts colleges, however, provide you with more flexibility. Many will ask you what academic area/major you are interested in when applying, but you can officially declare once you attend.

Q: When should I submit my ACT or SAT scores?

A. Students will automatically have the opportunity to send scores to a limited number of schools the day of the ACT or SAT exam. However, applicants should aim to send scores to additional schools at least one month before the application deadline.

Q: Should I wait to hear back from my Early Decision choice before beginning my other college applications?

A. While it does not make sense to complete and submit all of your applications before hearing from your Early Decision choice, you should be proactive and begin some applications as soon as you click "submit" in November. January 1st has a way of "sneaking up" on high school seniors due to the added pressure of high school exams before the holiday break. As a result, it is important to complete at least one application a week between the Early Decision and Regular Decision deadlines.

Q: Should I complete the “Additional Information” section of the Common Application? 

A: Historically, the “Additional Information” section has been used to explain a circumstance that has impacted a student’s performance in school (an illness or a tragic family death, for example). Recently, however, applicants have started to also use this section to showcase academic or extracurricular achievements that are not otherwise highlighted elsewhere on the application. Such examples typically include additional activities or honors that do not fit in the activity section of the Common Application. Also, sometimes students have a second personal essay that reveals new information or a particular talent that he or she wants to share.

One final and very important note:  Colleges and universities do not want to read repetitive information. Do not use the “Additional Information” section to restate anything you have already placed in your Common Application. 

Q: Should my junior begin a personal statement this spring? Is it too early? When will the application prompts become available?

A: If your junior is motivated to begin an essay, encourage him or her to do so.  I always suggest that my clients complete the personal statement by the end of July. Those who do complete their essay (or at least draft it…) can devote August to applications and supplemental essays. Once fall of senior year arrives, students are often overwhelmed with AP coursework, remaining standardized tests and approaching application deadlines. Applicants who begin the process earlier are far less stressed.

The Common Application becomes live in the beginning of August, but the 2020-2021 writing prompts have already been released. Click here to read through the prompts: https://www.commonapp.org/blog/2019-2020-common-app-essay-prompts