Secret #1: Make a list

Applying for college not only takes a lot of your time, but also money. To make it a smoother process, you can decide what your top schools are ahead of time by making a list. Think of a safe school (a school you are almost positive you can get into), a reach school (a school that you may have lower chances of getting into), and a target school (which is a school that is tangible to you). You should also research the campus and atmosphere, the majors you would be interested, and the clubs and extracurricular activities offered at the school. Senior Pooja Pasapula applied to schools based on her major, what the campus looked like, and what she thought she would get into. It’s good to have at least ten schools that are varied in these categories. When you narrow down your schools, you should write down all important information about the application process like deadlines, application fees, essay prompts, and required standardized test scores.

Secret #2: Create a CommonApp account

CommonApp is a free tool you can use to apply to up to 157 different colleges in the country. Although it isn’t accepted by all colleges, it’s an easy way to keep all of your information under the same database and make the process for certain colleges faster. You can make small changes to the information in the Common App to make it relevant to the school you’re applying to. This is a great resource for students who want to apply out-of-state. Senior Kendall Garrett made a CommonApp account and felt it helped her a lot in choosing her schools and applying more quickly.

Secret #3: Pace Yourself!

Waiting until the last minute will make the process a hundred times more stressful for not only you, but your teachers. If you need a recommendation from your teacher, make sure you give them a 2-3 week notice before the deadline. Also, don’t assume they know what you do outside of school, make sure to give them a resume so that they can put it in your recommendation. If you are looking to get your essay edited by a teacher or peer, it would be wise to do it early enough so you have time to apply edits. In the end, this will make this process less stressful. Whenever you have free time, practice your writing! Whether it’s on a weekend or if you finish your homework a little earlier than usual, practicing your writing with a prompt is a great way to sharpen your skills. Senior Sarah Scott gave us some advice to the upcoming seniors. Scott says, “Look at the essay prompts during the summer and start writing them then, rather than when you have other classes to worry about.” You can also apply for Early Action, which is when you apply by the deadline (usually in October or November) and find out if you were accepted by December or January. Senior Victoria Kwon says, “I applied for early action at Chapel Hill because it gets it out of the way and you know early on.”

Secret #4:  Talk to your counselor

Your counselor is one of the best resources in the school for all things college related. They can help you with things you need, from just starting the application to financial aid. Some colleges also require a counselor recommendation. Writing a recommendation for a student you don’t know very well could be difficult, so be sure to make a good impression! You can talk to your counselor by going to student services and scheduling a Senior Interview, which is a meeting specifically made to talk about college questions or concerns. Counselors are assigned by the first letter of your last name:

(A-Ci) Felicia Moore

(Co-Ei) Ryan Cummings

(En-H) Elizabeth Cotton

(I-Ma) Amie Graham

(Mc-Po) Germaine Hawkins

(Pr-Sr) James Gross

(St-Z) Natarshia Sharpe

Secret #5: Apply for Financial Aid/Scholarships

After sending in applications, it’s a good idea to start applying to Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and any scholarships you can. FAFSA is the largest provider of student financial aid in the country and gives out over $150 billion in federal loans every year. Every college has a different deadline for the FAFSA application, so make sure you check those deadlines frequently. Universities also offer hundreds of scholarships and can be found on the Student Services blackboard page on the Panther Creek website. College is a huge expense and taking just a few minutes to make an account or fill out an application could save you thousands of dollars!

Secret #6: Don’t forget to breathe!

Your senior year is supposed to be one of the best years of your life! Make sure to think about college, but don’t forget to have fun. You’ve worked three years to start your life as an adult; it’s your last year, enjoy it! Wasting your senior year stressing about the future will not make for good memories. Senior year may seem like it’ll last forever, but this time next year you’ll miss it. Remember: don’t count the days, make the days count!