It’s race month in Indiana. Visitors from around the world gather to watch the greatest spectacle in racing at the Indianapolis 500, and we celebrate all month long with events around the city. Just like the race car drivers who prepare year-round for the big race to the finish, preparing for college applications is more than just a fall activity in your Senior year. The most successful students who experience the least amount of stress and the greatest number of opportunities start early and have been long preparing for the big application push, or should we say race?

Why start college applications so early?
We know this is not the most appealing plea to students heading into the summer months. But take it from us and our experience guiding thousands of students to the finish line – preparing early pays off, and you will win more than one race. The first race is submitting college applications but you also need to consider the race that follows – scholarship applications. Completing your college applications early leaves more time to focus on completing important scholarship applications in the fall. We have seen students delay and become overwhelmed with submitting college applications, completely missing out on applying for much-needed scholarships.

Starting applications early also allows students and families to create a plan and a timeline. We recommend laying out what you want to achieve before applications go live in the fall to keep yourself on track. Consider doing this with a friend or family member for accountability. Plan in hand, we find that students feel less stressed. They can take a breathe knowing that there is time to accomplish each task and tasks are spaced out at manageable deadlines. Pro tip: each part of the application process will likely take you longer than planned so give yourself extra time!

What can I do now? College applications aren’t even available.
What’s that you say? Applications aren’t open until the fall and you can’t get started even if you wanted to? Wrong. There’s no such thing as a false start in the college application race. There are plenty of ways to prepare for the fall and save yourself time and stress when the clock starts ticking.

● Write your essay. The Common Application prompts are live now.
● Create your college resume. Be sure to ask an adult to proofread and save it as a PDF.
● Visit colleges and universities. This is the time to return for a final visit.
● Test Prep. If you need new scores, take a test prep course this summer.
● Finalize your college list. Decide to which colleges you will apply and track all
deadlines.
● Request letters of recommendation. Determine who you will ask and give them
plenty of time by asking for a letter now.
● Tweak your essays. Revisit your essays and make final revisions.
● Submit early. Many college applications open on August 1!

How Class 101 can help.
We work with rising Seniors and guide them through each step of the way toward the college application finish line. Through our Summer Power-Up program, students work toward goals while college advisors keep them accountable and supported. We work on how to create great essays and edit them through the summer so students can confidently submit them when the time comes. Test preparation, resume building, and identifying scholarship opportunities are all part of the summer plan prior to Senior year. Our goal is for students to meet their deadlines, gain admission to their top-choice schools, and win scholarships, while still enjoying their senior year experience.

Class 101 Essay Bootcamps
For personalized guidance on your college application journey, reach out to Class 101. We are offering 3-Day Bootcamp packages this summer, which include six hours of test preparation, a 1-hour family consultation, and a detailed student score report. Reach out to learn more and sign-up!

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