Create a Resume
You should create a resume that includes the grades in which you participated, and the average hours per week and weeks per year you participated. Only include high school activities in this log unless you started an activity prior to high school and continued it through high school. Otherwise, leave out middle school activities. You should also include any honors or awards that you have received.
Research Colleges
Gather information on colleges so you can determine where you want to apply. Do searches online, take tours, go to information sessions. Our blogs below provide great insight on the college search:
What to Consider When Searching for Colleges
Searching for Colleges by Major
How to Research Colleges
How to Find the Best College for Me
How to Search for Colleges Online
What to Look for When Searching for Colleges
Our blogs and videos are full of additional information.
Start Filling Out the Common App BEFORE 8/1
Although the “New” Common App doesn’t open and become live until August 1st, you can fill out the general portion of the application before then. Just create an account and log in. You will then see the Common App tab. Click on that tab and you can start filling out the general information sections. You can do this anytime before August 1st. So what happens if you fill out this information prior to August 1st? When the new Common App becomes available, the information that you completed in the general information section will get converted over to the new Common App.
Even if you list some schools, that list will also transfer over to the new Common App – but any answers you completed for the school specific questions will not.
The Essays
There are two types of essays within the Common App: the primary essay and the supplemental essays. You can definitely begin working on the primary essay/personal statement before August 1st. In fact, we highly recommend that you do so. BUT don’t upload it before August 1st.
The supplemental essays are essay prompts that are specific to a certain school. These come out with the new Common App, so you need to wait until August 1st to start on these essays. Some schools won’t release their supplemental essay prompts until after August 1 so you just need to continue to check until they are listed.
Submitting Your Common App
You may have heard that because you plan on taking your SAT or ACT again, or that your transcript and letters of recommendation can’t be sent until October, that you should wait to submit your Common App. That is not the case. All those pieces are mutually exclusive. You can submit applications as early as you want, whenever they are ready after August 1st. If you’re going to take the SAT or ACT again, you can wait until those scores get back and then submit those scores. But there is a caveat to this: some schools will ask you in their questions if you are applying test optional, so if you’re not sure, you have to hold off on applying to those colleges that ask that question if you are waiting on test scores to come in and deciding on whether so submit them or not.
We hope this helps you understand the current Common App, in this case for 2022, but it’s really for any year, opens August 1st.
Looking for help with the college search and application process? We help students and families through the entire college planning journey – from search, applications and essays to interview prep, financial aid consultation and final school selection.
Contact us at info@signaturecollegecounseling.com or by phone, 845.551.6946. We work with students through Zoom, over the phone, and by email.
