To Do Lists and Why We LOVE them!
Sometimes you have to think about choosing a college the same as if you were building a house. You wouldn’t just start nailing the wood together, right? So, you don’t go into the college admissions process without a plan. The plan is also known as the To Do List. Simple, right? But the importance of it cannot be emphasized enough.
Just as when we spoke about “timelines”, we spoke about feeling in control of the process and not letting it stress us out.
You won’t be stressed if you create a “to do” list that lists every task (with as much info as you like) in a bulleted list, and keep it handy for regular review.
While every student’s timeline will be different, based on college choices and direction, there are some basics that need to be included:
• Define needs and desires of your college experience. Now that may seem obvious, but have you really thought about WHAT kind of college experience you want? Not just the academic life you’re going for, not just the college’s reputation, but the student life, the environment, the weather, dorms, clubs, etc. That should all be a big part of any college “to do” list.
• Next, have you reviewed the college’s application to see what kinds of essays you’re in for? Some may be six shorter ones, some may have one longer one. Knowing that information will eliminate the element of surprise and allow you to be proactive vs. reactive and stressed if you leave things to go too long.
It takes no time to do, maybe an hour, if you really consider every possible task, and where it falls in the timeline for the next really big and exciting chapter in your life!