I recommend that high school students begin giving serious thought to their college application essay in the spring of their junior year and write the main essay during the summer before senior year, aiming to have it done by Labor Day.
While the Early Decision and Early Application deadlines of November 1 and beyond seem far away right now, getting a head start on writing the college essay will help you and your student “keep your head when all about you are losing theirs” as those dates approach. It also gives your student the time and thought needed to write a winning essay that can boost her or his chances of acceptance to college.
On the Common Application, the main essay is a maximum of 650 words, with seven choices of prompts, including any topic of your choice. The essay is a student’s chance to show admissions officers her or his interests, values, qualities, and life experiences that tell a story beyond grades and test scores. I encourage students to pick a topic that will become a gateway to the story they want to tell and I work with them to craft a compelling narrative that stands out.
In addition to the main essay, many colleges require shorter supplemental essays, with the topics, word counts, and number of essays varying widely. Those prompts come out over the summer, and I encourage students to create a spreadsheet of supplemental essay topics for the schools to which they want to apply so they can repurpose content and cut down on the number of essays they actually need to write.
If a student’s main Common App essay is finished by the start of senior year of high school, he or she can use the early fall to organize and write the supplemental college essays. The test-optional admissions trend gives the essays even more importance in the college application, and good writing always takes time. Students need time to choose compelling topics, organize their thoughts, write, and then edit and rewrite.
Starting the essay in the spring of junior year and writing it the summer before senior year will considerably ease the stress of the college application process. Push your students now to begin and they will thank you in October.
Contact me to discuss your student’s college admissions journey. My coaching helps transform a potentially emotionally fraught process into an empowering experience for students and peace of mind for parents.