Applying to college can be a confusing, drawn out process. Each year, students stress out over writing essays, finding extracurriculars, and getting letters of recommendations. There are lots of resources available for students, but they can be hard to find and time consuming. Here is a compilation of the best tips for seniors applying to colleges to decrease stress and increase productivity!

A National Institute of Health study on preparation before tests showed that people who prepare more for a test end up feeling less stressed out on test day. While applying to college is not like a traditional test, it is a large representation of yourself and it can feel stressful to put all of yourself out there. 

Renata Emery, a counselor at Linganore High School, recommends that students start looking at colleges before their senior year to prevent undue stress.

“If you’re going along and you’re doing these things [college applications] as a process, then you’re not going to have all [of] this anxiety that some students seem to exhibit during the college application season,” Emery said.

The Common App opens in early August every year, so the best thing to do would be get started as soon as possible. While there might be some problems encountered while starting out, you will have more time to reach out to staff at school that can help you through the process. The earlier you get started, the sooner you can be finished!

Many students might have a good idea of where they might want to attend college, but others might have no clue. For the students that already have an idea of where they might want to go, it can be stifling to count out colleges that you might not know about yet.

Ariel Shaw is an admissions counselor at Coastal Carolina University, and she recommends that students applying to college not to dismiss colleges because of preconceived notions or other reasons.

“You may apply to a school you have never heard of, but I wouldn’t just rule that school out because you’ve never heard of it,” said Shaw. “You may visit a school and realize that you fell in love with it.”

Let a college tell you if you should not go somewhere– do not count a place out before you know the circumstances of your acceptance!

From freshman year on, it is important to form strong relationships with teachers and other staff at school. This might help when it comes to getting assistance in a particular subject, but it can also help when it comes to applying and getting accepted into college.

LaTonya Henson, an admissions counselor at Stevenson University, noted that students who reach out to their admissions counselors stand out more than the average applicant.

“[The] students who come to campus for tours I recognize [when they apply], because I usually meet with them after the tour and talk to them,” said Henson. “So, then when they apply, I do recognize their name and I might send them a quick email … [those students] stick out a little bit more than just a student who just sends in their application.”

Building strong relationships can also be helpful when it comes time for teachers to write letters of recommendation. Many colleges require applicants to submit a letter of recommendation, so if teachers know more about your personality, the letter will be more accurate and a better representation of you.

When picking a college, it is important to choose somewhere that has many majors you are interested in that you could possibly switch between.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, over 80% of students change their major at least once over the course of their time at college. In case you decide to switch your major, it is good to choose a school that has “backup” majors. 

Jack Selby is an admissions counselor at Towson University, and he recommends that students not choose schools solely based on their course of study. 

“The average college student will change their major at least three times, and even if a school does not offer a particular program that you are interested in, they may at least offer something else that is very closely related,” said Selby. “Your college will become your home for possibly the next four years or maybe even longer, and therefore, I would urge students to visit the schools, and then prioritize the factors that will influence how comfortable they feel on campus.”

At the end of the day, you want to pick a college that you like in all circumstances. Make sure that you apply to places that are adaptable to your education and that you could picture yourself living in!

The worst feeling in college admissions season is feeling pressured and rushed to complete applications– especially ones that have a lot of extra questions or essays attached to them. A huge way to work against this almost inevitable facet of applying to college is to start as early as possible.

Lizzy Miller is a senior and wishes she knew to start applying earlier in August or September.

“I wish I had more knowledge about what the [application] process was, because I really went in blind and didn’t think setting up Common App alone was going to take me a couple days …setting up Naviance, getting recommendation letters and my transcripts have taken me months at this point,” said Miller.

It is extremely important to turn in all of your documents on time. Since you are paying colleges money to view your application, it is even more of an incentive to be diligent and stay on top of your deadlines– you definitely do not want to waste money!

The Common App personal statement essay is the only place where you get to directly talk to the person that reads your application, so make it count! With seven different prompts, there is really no end to the ideas that you could write about to make the essay yours.

Lauren Romagnano is an admissions counselor at Loyola University of Maryland, and she recommends that students be as creative as possible in their essays.

“[The essays] that always stand out to me, they’re always just really fun … I had one that began with someone’s grandma’s brownie recipe once, and that’s one I still remember, because it was such a fun opener. That’s really the best way for kids to pop and stand out on an application,” said Romagnano.

Universities are looking for well-rounded students, not just numbers and letters on a page. They want to see who you are, so show it through your writing. Do not be afraid to talk about something silly or miniscule. Show the admissions committee what they are gaining by admitting you as a student.