College Application Deadlines Are Coming: 5 Things Seniors Should Do Right Now

If you're a senior applying to college, October is when things start moving quickly.

Some college application deadlines are October 15, with many more coming around November 1. Don't panic. But don't wait either. You don't need to finish every application this weekend. You do need a plan.

Here are five things I'd prioritize right now.

1. Finalize Your College List

By now, your college list should be getting pretty close to final. Make sure you have a balanced mix of likely, target, and reach schools. But don't just focus on whether you can get in.

Ask yourself:

Would I actually be happy going here?

Think about cost, location, major, campus environment, opportunities, and overall fit. A college doesn't belong on your list just because you've heard of it or because it's highly ranked.

2. Check Every Deadline

Please don't assume all of your applications are due November 1.

Depending on the college, you may see Early Action, Early Decision, priority, scholarship, honors, and Regular Decision deadlines.

And here's where students sometimes get tripped up: the application deadline isn't always the only deadline.

You may have separate dates for test scores, transcripts, portfolios, scholarship consideration, or other materials.

Make a deadline tracker and check each date directly on the college's admissions website.

3. Confirm Your Recommendations

If you need letters of recommendation, make sure your teachers and counselor have everything they need.

That includes your brag sheet if you haven't shared it yet.

A good brag sheet gives your recommender more than a list of activities. Include specific stories, interests, accomplishments, goals, and details that help them show colleges who you are.

4. Stop Trying to Make Your Personal Statement “Perfect”

Your personal statement has an important job: helping the person reading your application learn something about you.

What do you value? What matters to you? What might they understand about you after reading your essay that they couldn't learn from your transcript?

And you don't have to write about the biggest challenge you've ever faced.

Sometimes a small story tells us much more about who you are. Focus on making the essay specific, reflective, and yours, not perfect.

5. Preview Your Application

Before you hit submit, use Common App's preview feature and actually read the application from beginning to end.

Check your activities. Read your essays. Look for formatting issues, missing information, cut-off descriptions, and mistakes.

Then ask yourself one final question: Does this application sound like me?

Your application isn't just your GPA plus an essay plus a list of activities. Together, those pieces should help an admissions officer understand who you are, what matters to you, and what you might bring to their campus.

Your October 5 Goal

If you have an October 15 deadline, you're officially in the home stretch.If your first deadline isn't until November, don't use that as an excuse to wait three more weeks.

Pick your next deadline. Figure out what's missing. And start there.

One application at a time.