College-bound students ought to complete three essential tasks prior to their winter vacation:
College-bound students ought to complete three essential tasks prior to their winter vacation:
At the tail-end of the autumn term, university applicants and their guardians might be feeling the strain. Make sure to tackle crucial administrative duties before the institute shuts down for the winter break.
- Make sure your referrers have submitted their letters.
- Touch base with your school counselor regarding transcripts and any outstanding issues.
- Get signatures ready for your prospective Early Decision II application.
Final writings may be due, and the last-leg semester exams can pile up. Deadlines that appeared distant in September are now close by. Your instructors weren't trying to make these final days difficult for you; rather, they wanted to provide ample time to end tasks. However, this can result in several deadlines happening at once.
It's incredibly tempting to think you can delay university applications until your schoolwork is finished. Perhaps you want to use this last chance to enhance your grades. This is particularly significant if you anticipate the Mid Year Report that colleges may request in March, which could impact your efforts to move off a waitlist in the spring.
Or perhaps you find it hard to think about everything all at once. It can be challenging to focus on the subtleties of the differences between universities requiring supplementary essays on why their particular institution is the ideal choice for you. If you haven't yet drafted the personal statement for the Common Application, you may require mental space to address the significant questions about identity, beliefs, or obstacles.
It's all rather overwhelming. You may actually think more clearly once the complexities of differential equations, the French Revolution, and whatever else you are studying are behind you.
However, before you procrastinate, consider this: It's not just about you.
Institutional Offices May Be Inactive
Your recommenders might be traveling. Your school counselor might need to dispatch transcripts. You may seek advice on whether or not to disclose your test scores to test-optional colleges. If anything goes wrong, you may require aid to submit each application component by the deadline.
Institutional offices are likely to be inactive during the winter break.
If you're applying to one or more of the numerous colleges with deadline date extremities in late December or early January, spare some time now to revisit the prerequisites. If feasible, examine the Common Application or college-specific portal to align every application component that depends on someone else completing their part.
Early Decision II
Pay particular attention to the prerequisites of a university to which you may be applying Early Decision II. Like ED I, ED II is a binding agreement. Ensure you've discussed this with your school counselor, your parents, or anyone responsible for signing an agreement to the ED II conditions.
Once that's settled and school concludes, you can concentrate on your part of the applications. You can immerse yourself in envisioning classes at an inspiring campus-based university or exhilarating internships at a bustling metropolitan institution. Allow yourself deep thoughts on the prompts proposed by the Common Application, such as "reflecting on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea" or considering "the lessons we draw from the obstacles we encounter."
Knowing you have addressed anything that requires someone else's attention can free you to truly engage with the imaginative aspects of university applications. Writing the personal statement could even become "a topic, idea, or concept that captivates you so profoundly that it makes you lose track of time."
- High school seniors should ensure that their high school counselors have submitted their letters of recommendation before the end of the semester, as many college application deadlines fall around this time.
- With winter break approaching, high school seniors should check the common application portal to align all application components that depend on someone else's completion, as institutional offices may be inactive during this time.
- For high school seniors applying to colleges with late December or early January deadlines, it's essential to revisit the requirements and ensure that all parts, such as letters of recommendation, are submitted on time to avoid any delays in the college application process.