Rising seniors, never fear, start your college essays now!
As the school year draws to a close, rising seniors should start working on their college essays over the summer to avoid an overload in the fall.
After four semesters of college, nothing has rivaled the stress of the beginning of my senior year of high school. Applying to college while focusing on my schoolwork was no joke, and I wasn’t prepared.
Even though I was a “good writer,” even though I got “good” grades, even though I had a solid plan for each of my essays, I struggled to keep my head above the water while juggling my usual AP classes, extracurriculars, with the addition of college applications.
In fact, I overloaded myself to the point of sickness. In September, I came down with a nasty case of pneumonia. My diagnosis came the week of my Georgetown interview. I was out for the last few weeks of my senior cheerleading season. I almost missed my senior year performance of the Nutcracker. The doctor told me something had to go. That I couldn’t keep going the way I had been. To put it lightly: I was a mess.
But here’s the thing. You don’t have to be like me! You can avoid the chaos and the stress! The secret?
Start thinking about your college essays early.
Instead of waiting until September or October to start your college essays, take advantage of the free time you have now with summer break and quarantine clearing your schedule. Even just an hour a day is more than enough time to get a jumpstart on your essays and prepare yourself for the fall.
My advice: start slow and make a plan. Set goals for yourself. When do you want to finalize the schools you are applying to? When do you want to finish brainstorming? When do you want to have your CommonApp essay finished? By setting small, frequent goals for yourself, you can stay focused and motivated, avoid procrastinating, and write thoughtful essays.
Struggling to get organized? Lucky for you, Total Writing Enrichment already has a FREE college essay organizer.
Once you have taken time to plan, get organized, and brainstorm, you can start writing your essays. If you’re having a hard time, don’t worry, starting can be the hardest part! Check out this post for tips on writing your essays.
My biggest piece of advice though? Don’t worry about things out of your control.
In this season of uncertainty and change as you transition from a high schooler to a college student, focus on the things you can control. Start your essays early, do your best to demonstrate your character, cherish the time with your family and friends, but don’t waste your time stressing about where you’re going to end up next year. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that you will end up where you are meant to be.
So take control this summer, and start your college essays early to prevent your future self unnecessary stress and worry.
Want some extra help? Schedule a FREE 15-minute appointment with Total Writing Enrichment to get some help strategizing for your college essays.
Stay healthy, and be well. You’ve got this!
Moira ♥
*Moira Ritter is a junior at Georgetown University and looks forward to contributing her writing skills to Total Writing Enrichment this summer!
