Why You Should Do Your College Applications Over the Summer

Do Your College Applications Over the Summer!

High school students and their parents are always looking for tips and tricks to give their college applications an edge in the admissions process. As a tutor and teacher, there are many aspects of a student’s application that can be focused on and improved. However, these improvements often vary from student to student because of the individual nature of the applications. This is why experienced private tutors are especially beneficial; cookie-cutter, generic advice can only get you so far when you’re trying to optimize your application – sign up for our Irvine college application consulting.

However, there is one tip that does apply to most students that is extremely helpful and often ignored: do your application early.

Students almost always wait until the college deadlines are looming before finishing their applications. Even the most assiduous students are typically only completing their applications in September. My recommendation is to get it finished over the summer. Here are a few reasons why:

More time to edit and proofread

One of the more obvious benefits of finishing your applications over the summer is the extra time you can have without school. You’ll likely have much more free time and fewer distractions so you can focus on your application.

No procrastination stress

Application deadlines are a huge producer of stress in high school students. Many students give up on applications or fail to put in their full effort because of procrastination and the stress of the deadline. If you finish early, you won’t waste one second worrying about the deadline.

Time to add more

By completing your applications early and sending them to your favorite schools first, you’ll still have several months left if you decide you want to send more applications. Many students learn about new schools later that they didn’t know about from friends or family after they’ve done their applications. Doing your main applications over the summer still leaves the fall to do any extra applications you want to add.

Find early-bird opportunities

Many schools offer application benefits to students who reach out early. These include early tours of the school (sometimes with travel reimbursement), information packets, early decision or early action applications, and information from admissions officers. You lose out on many of these features if you don’t start early, and you don’t want to be a part of the huge mob of students all contacting schools at the same time before deadlines. Contact your favorite colleges over the summer when they won’t be as busy and are eager to help.

Shows that you’re interested and efficient

Applying to a school early shows the admissions officers that you were interested enough in the school to do the application right away and that you are capable of finishing important things responsibly and early. Colleges look for these traits in students and may value them in your application if you’re reaching out and submitting early.

Better recommendations

Many of your high school teachers will be getting swamped with requests for letters of recommendation for applications in the fall. This extra workload leads to more generic and less polished letters that aren’t ideal for your application. Don’t let this be a factor and reach out to your teacher early to get your letter finished before or during the summer.

Our private Irvine college application consultants are here to help. Book your consultant for the summer today.

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