How to Prioritize Your College Applications
When it comes to thinking about prioritizing college applications, your first step should be to make a college application plan.
Start today - often, starting is the hardest part.
What should I focus on in my college applications?
Let’s imagine that you already know what your priorities are when it comes to getting ready for college applications but are just feeling totally overwhelmed. Having been in college access in a variety of capacities since 2006, I have seen a lot of students and their parents who have done literally everything on the spectrum and have made great moves, terrible moves, and meh moves when prioritizing their college applications.
In previous posts, we talked about what your priorities are, according to NACAC’s definitive ranking. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and awash about what priorities exist, try a checklist to help you organize your summer.
Here are my two best suggestions when it comes to thinking about prioritizing college applications:
Make a college application plan
All these suggestions - these things to do - are overwhelming. If you end up just doing things as one-offs, you will lack the perception of interest and preparation; you’ll risk coming off as slapdash and superficial. If you have a plan and you’re working slowly and steadily through it, your achievements will add up.
But that also requires sticking to what you’ve planned. It’s really easy to say, “Oh, I won’t go to the gym today; I’ll go twice as long tomorrow” - this is known in business as “kicking the can down the road.” A little bit every day will definitely add up to more than a lot all at once - if only because you have more TIME if you do a little every day than if you do a lot all at once. One hour every day for a month is 30 hours. To do 30 hours of dedicated, all-at-once work on something would mean ALL of your waking time for two whole days. When you think about it that way, it’s clearly easier to do a little every day.
And guess what? You are building positive habits, which you’ll need both in college and in real life, when it comes to paying down bills or your mortgage.
Put long-term before short-term
A lot of folks have trouble thinking about how today’s choices will affect them down the road. Remember that every action has consequences - both good and bad. Maybe you feel overwhelmed by the college process and don’t know where to start. I’ve seen many students cry because they feel overwhelmed and behind. I’ve also seen students self-sabotage (do a thing now that will preclude them from going to college later - on purpose!) because they can’t face the possibility of going to college - opening the 700-page book that a relative gave them.
I can promise you that you’re not alone, and that taking the first step is the hardest. Once you have opened the book, or sat in front of the computer with a blank piece of paper to take notes, or put your GPA into CollegeSimply, you will find it’s not quite as hard anymore.
There’s an old joke - “What’s the best way to eat an elephant?” And the answer is, “One bite at a time.”
There is a lot of pressure surrounding college - from parents, friends, teachers, counselors, society at large - but remember that there’s no WRONG way to start. Not starting is the wrong way. So start today - just do the tiniest little piece to get yourself going.
