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10 Strategies for Writing a College Application Essay

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Strategies How to Write a College Application Essay

Your college essay, frequently asked questions about writing a college application essay.

Writing a college application essay can have an incredible influence on the college admissions committees . The essay is designed to give students a chance to really show colleges who they are and what they aspire to be. This is why it’s important to compose something that makes your personal statement stand out amongst the hundreds of other students.

You want to write something captivating and impactful without overwhelming the reader yet staying true to you. But between knowing where to start and what to write about, the essay itself seems almost impossible to conquer. And this is where I come in.

Today’s article focuses on my carefully crafted 10-step strategy for writing the perfect college application essay . With some colleges no longer considering factors like high school grades and standardized test scores (i.e., SAT and ACT scores ), the pressure to create a college application essay can be fierce but stress no more. With the help of these ten strategies, you will be on your way to writing the strong college application essay that just might get you a seat at your dream college. Let’s get right into it!

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Start Early:

Because the whole application process is tedious from beginning to end, you want to give yourself plenty of time to work on your essay. Be sure to start brainstorming ideas early and create and outline your essay. Not only will this give you an idea of how you want to structure your essay, but it will also provide an ample amount of time to work on the essay. If you start early, you will also have more than enough time to edit and go through multiple drafts until your final draft is complete.

Understand the Prompt:

Before you begin writing anything, make sure you fully understand the essay prompt. The last thing you want to do is write an essay that has nothing to do with the theme/prompt the school has given prospective students. Look into the essay’s guidelines beforehand to have a clear understanding of what your topic is. That way, you don’t waste words and time.

Show, Don’t Tell:

It’s easy to put words on a paper and call it an essay, but that’s boring (and lazy)! Show your readers what you want them to see; don’t just tell them. Use specific examples to illustrate your points and qualities. Try adding some humor in there to give them an even clearer sense of your personality, as well.

Whatever theme or prompts you are focusing on in your essay, just make sure you show who you truly are. Bring your readers on your journey through any experience you’re highlighting rather than just telling them you were there. Use your achievements and moments of clarity to draw them in. An admissions officer will want to see your colors, not just hear about them.

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Be Authentic:

This is the key and probably the most important part of your essay. Be authentic and unapologetically you. Write in your own voice, and don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Share your experiences, passions, and aspirations, but focus on how who you truly are, your values, and your goals. It’s easy to tell when something is forced, so stray away from generic tones and cliché jargon. Be fun, use humor, and showcase your natural tone. College admissions committees respect transparency and honesty as these characteristics usually line up with their institution’s values, so be authentically you.

Focus on a Specific Topic:

When you’re working on something like a college application essay where your goal is to stand out, it’s easy to ramble on about yourself, and that’s okay! But it’s important to know what is necessary and what overflow is. Choose a specific topic/theme that gives your story a way to showcase your personality and stick to it. You want to focus on key details and not details about the details. Stick to what you want to convey and use supporting information and/or characteristics.  

Structure Your Essay:

The key to a well-thought-out, formed essay is a strong outline. Organizing your thoughts will help you more than you know, so make sure you start your outline with a clear introduction that leads to strong body paragraphs that support your main points. And when all is said and done, you will wrap up your essay with an impressionable conclusion. You might go through a few outlines before you get to your final one, but that’s okay! Whatever works for you will shine through your essay.

Edit and Revise:

Editing is going to be your best friend. The first draft is always going to be a little messy, so make sure you go back and proofread your work for any grammar and spelling errors. The editing and writing process can also help you gain some clarity on what you are trying to convey to the college admissions committee. Because we’re the ones writing it, our thoughts make sense as soon they spill onto the paper, so proofreading your work will give you a chance to realign those thoughts and make it more coherent and smoother to read.

And since you’re the one writing it, it’s easy to overlook typos and missed punctuation, so I suggest taking breaks. And this can go any way! You can complete the first few paragraphs and then take a break; you can do one paragraph at a time or even the entire essay and then take a break. Whichever way you choose to go when it comes to writing essays, stepping back from your words can help you regain that sharp eye that will catch the errors.

Seek Feedback:

If you’re anything like me, you don’t like to bother people or ask for help, but for your college application essay, you have to put that aside. Don’t be afraid to ask teachers, counselors, your parents, peers, and friends to read your essay and provide constructive feedback in areas that need improvement. A second, third, and even fourth set of eyes will be able to catch things you can’t. Just be sure the people you know will set time aside to help you.

Also, request that your readers tell you what they gained from the essay. Did you perceive yourself well, did you miss anything, should you include a detail you don’t think it relevant to personal essay, but they do? You want to make sure your essay represents you academically, professionally, and personally, so listen closely to what they have to say and revise until it’s ready to go.

Be Positive:

Though I know it’s important to share your experiences and stories in your applications essay, I want to make sure you don’t focus on the negative aspects of your experiences (if any!). Colleges want to see their prospective student’s personalities and how they get through even the happiest of life experiences, and not just the challenging ones. Focus on your strengths, achievements, and growth while maintaining a positive and optimistic tone throughout your essay.

Leave them wanting more:

The goal point of your application’s essay is to stand out, so ending your essay with a strong closing sentence will amplify the reader’s interest that much more. Not only will these strategies inspire a well-written and authentic essay, but they can also increase your chances of making a strong, lasting impression on college admissions committees. Make sure your closing statement is witty and powerful and ties it all together.

Your college essay should show your personality, special qualities, experiences, and aspirations to the college admissions officers and committee. You don’t want to do too much, but you also don’t want to leave anything out . So, in case you get stuck, here are some elements to include in your college application essay:

• Personal Story : Share your story and experiences that have shaped your identity and/or influenced your passions.
• Academic Achievements : This is not the time to be modest about academic achievements, so highlight any awards or honors that demonstrate your dedication to education.
• Goals and Aspirations : Clearly state your goals and aspirations and explain how attending the college you are applying to support those dreams.
• Unique Perspective : Offer the unique perspectives or insights that set you apart from other applicants. This will showcase your individuality.
• Writing Style : You want your essay to demonstrate strong writing skills, creativity, and clarity. Provide vivid language, clear storytelling, and proper grammar and punctuation.
• Relevance : Make sure your essay directly addresses the college’s prompts or questions and aligns with the values and mission of the institution.
• Reflection : Reflect on your experiences, challenges, and growth, and show how they have shaped your character and prepared you for college.
• Be Yourself : But most importantly, be You. Stay true to your authenticity, as it is the one thing that will make you stand out the most!

In truth, your college application essay doesn’t have to drag . Include some of these elements into your work, and you might even (dare I say) have fun showing every college board member who you are and what you have to offer the world of academia. Good luck, and happy writing your admissions essays .

What should I write about in my college application essay?

When it comes to topics for your college application essay, choose a subject that boasts your unique personality, experiences, and personal values. Consider sharing a personal story that shines a light on your strengths, or write about any challenges you’ve overcome gracefully or a significant moment that helped shape your identity. The goal of college essays is to provide admissions officers with insight into who you are beyond your academic achievements, not just that you can put together an essay.

How long should my college application essay be?

Most colleges have specific guidelines regarding the length of the application essay, typically ranging from 250 to 650 words. It is important to adhere to the word count limit provided by the college to ensure that your essay is concise and focused. Be sure to carefully review the college application process and instructions to determine the appropriate length for your essay.

How can I make my college application essay stand out?

To make your college application essay stand out, focus on your authentic voice and perspective. Avoid clichés and generic statements, and instead, strive to convey your unique personality and experiences. Use bold language, descriptive details, and storytelling techniques to captivate the reader’s attention. Don’t be afraid to get feedback from teachers, counselors, or peers to ensure that your college essay topic is well-written and effectively communicates your message.

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Advice for Writing Application Essays

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Advice for Writing Successful Application Essays

When you sit down to write your application essays, there is very little left that you can control. You should have already taken, or retaken, the SAT and ACT, your grades from your first three years of high school are set on your transcript, and your recommenders all have their impressions of you that are unlikely to change before the recommendation deadline. The only thing that left in your control is your writing for the application essay.

As with all things related to your college application, you will need to start drafting your application essay far ahead of the due date. In fact, you should move each school’s deadline up two weeks so that no unexpected events prevent you from completing and submitting your application. The reason that you need so much time to work on your essay is primarily because many schools will ask you to write about similar topics, but to do so in different ways. You will need enough time to draft essays that address each of these questions or prompts for each school to which you are applying.

Don't use boilerplate essays. That is, resist the urge to reuse the exact same essay for different schools if each of them is giving you a slightly different writing prompt. You can, of course, adapt the same essay for similar prompts. Many schools do allow you to use the Common Application essay for admission to several participating schools. For more information on the Common Application and to check which schools participate as members, click here .

Although using the Common Application does simplify the processes, make sure that you review each of the schools’ application requirements. as many of these same schools also request that you submit a second essay along with the Common Application essay. For instance, in addition to answering one of the standard Common Application questions, Amherst College asks that you write an additional essay responding to one of several quotations.

Before you can start writing your essay, you will need to begin by reading the prompts and questions carefully. Even the Common Application has six prompts that you can choose from. Don’t feel as though you must choose one immediately after reading them. You should ask yourself what sticks out the most for you after having read through them. Think about what is most salient for you.

Brainstorm by putting your thoughts on paper. You can free write (writing without stopping or censoring yourself), create word association maps (visually clustering concepts that you feel go together), or keep a journal over the course of several days so that you can collect your thoughts in one place. See the Purdue OWL's PowerPoint on “ Finding your Focus ” for more details on these strategies.

After you have generated several ideas, reflect on where you find the most intensity or excitement in what you were writing. If nothing jumps out at you, keep brainstorming or talk with others about some possible topics until something grabs you.

Once you know what want to write about, put a rough draft on paper. Don’t be afraid of stray thoughts if they lead you to something more interesting than you had set out to write. Just make sure that you eventually come to have a rough draft that is about one thing.

Look over your draft and check for the following.

• Your writing should be personal. After reading your essay, does it seem like anyone could have written this? Make sure that your essay captures who you are.
• You writing should show, not tell, through vivid language. Successful essays relate an experience or analyze a pattern from the writer’s life. It is not enough to make general claims about what impacted your decision to go to college, for instance; you must elaborate by including evidence that answers “how” and “why” when you make your claims.

It is important to note that admissions officers care as much about your structure, style, and insights as they do about your content. That is not meant to add an extra layer of anxiety to your writing process, but to highlight the fact that you don’t necessarily need to have something life-changing to write about in order to write a successful essay. As Dowhan, Dowhan and Kaufman note in Essays that Will Get You into College , “Personal does not have to mean heavy, emotional or even inspiring” (10). In fact, as the authors explain, students might over rely on the significant event that they write about to speak for itself and don’t “explain what it meant to them or give a solid example of how it changed them. In other words, they do not make it personal” (10).

Finally, your writing should be about a sustained topic. You must use vivid description with a purpose. What is it that you learned because of this experience? What message can you decipher from the series of events that you present? What led you to your conclusions?

Once you have completed your rough draft, put it away for a few days. Afterwards, read the question again and look through your essay. Ask yourself if the essay answers the prompt. Is it personal? Does it use vivid language? Is it focused on one topic? Rewrite whatever needs to be strengthened. This is a great time to have other people look through your draft and get their reaction. Make sure that you ask someone early, and that you trust this person’s judgment; they will be putting in a lot of time to help you, so don’t disregard anything that is inconvenient or that you don’t want to hear.

Again, giving yourself plenty of time to work on this essay is vital. You should have enough time to rewrite or restructure your essay based on the feedback that you have received. As you are drafting and revising, feel free to fix any mistakes that you catch in terms of spelling, grammar, and mechanics, but don’t spend too much time editing early on in the writing process. Working on lower-order concerns can give you the impression that the essay is ready to submit prematurely. Instead, use this time to strengthen the main points of your essay.

To supplement the advice offered on this page, you can find a handout on writing the admissions application essay here .

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How to Develop a College Essay Writing Timeline

While you may be able to dash off a literary analysis on the themes in Macbeth the night before, because colleges are looking to your application essays to learn about the development of YOUR character and values—and it can be far harder to write about yourself than anything else— you are going to want to start early.

How early? To think through what makes the most sense for you, work backward. How many colleges are you planning to apply to? How many essays will be required to complete the applications? When do you want to submit your applications?

For the majority of our students who are applying to 10 highly selective colleges (many of our students apply to a few more), it is not uncommon to have between 25 and 35 essays to write.

Given the sheer amount of work, the fact that early application deadlines begin in October of your senior year when you will probably be taking a rigorous course load with multiple AP courses and continuing to participate in time-consuming extra-curricular activities, we recommend our students begin the process in earnest by January of their Junior year.

While it can be compressed, here is an ideal timeline :

January-April

This is the best time to work on your Common App essay. Because it’s early, you can afford to go through a thorough brainstorming process to unearth your richest topic and a creative angle from which to tell your story. It of course varies, but we often see the best essays develop over an average of 7-10 drafts.

Because you are completing your college research, it is also the best time to write one of your longer supplemental essays that essentially asks “Why Us?” The University of Pennsylvania puts it this way:

How will you explore your intellectual and academic interests at the University of Pennsylvania? Please answer this question given the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying.

This is the time to customize other “Why Us” essays and write other common supplements that multiple colleges ask. Because every college asks the “Why Us” question a bit different, take your time to make sure each is well tailored to the specific college.

Many colleges will ask you to write about a meaningful extra-curricular activity and your place in one of the communities you belong to. While it may be easier to find your topic, these are every bit as important as your Common App and “Why Us” essays. Here is an example of one question Brown University asks:

Tell us about the place, or places, you call home. These can be physical places where you have lived or a community or group that is important to you.

September-October

Now is the time to write unique supplemental essays. Some of these may be less demanding, but others can be more significant. Meant to be a fun way to get to know more about you, students sometimes find Stanford University’s request that you “write a letter to your new roommate” quite difficult.

The University of Chicago is famous for its open-ended essay questions such as, Where’s Waldo really? Or What’s so odd about odd numbers? Yes, those are real questions that help determine who is the right fit for them.  

No matter what, remember to proofread all your essays one final time before hitting submit and then celebrate!

At its worst, the essay writing process can cause an inordinate amount of stress, anxiety, and frustration. At its best, however, if planned out ahead of time, the process can launch you on a path to success in admissions and well beyond. Why? Because it challenges you to think deeply about yourself and learn to tell meaningful stories that make an impact and inspire others.

At Princeton College Consulting we bring structure, organization, and accountability to the College essay writing process. We enjoy helping students tell their stories, but before that, we provide the mentorship for students to become the kind of young women and men that have great stories to tell. Contact us today to learn more.

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The College Essay Timeline

The majority of stress and work in the admissions process stems from the essay writing. These essays are a critical component of a student’s application, as it’s one of the only opportunities to inject personality into an application. Students should spend a lot of time crafting their essays and as as result, need to manage their time to be successful.

By ALEX LOVELESS

Every college applicant will have varying essay workloads, depending on their college list. Students with high aspirations for top colleges should be prepared to write A LOT of essays. Schools like Stanford require answers to 6 short answer questions (50 word limit), an extracurricular essay (150 words), and 3 short essay questions (250 word limit). Although they are all quite short, that’s 10 questions to answer in a thoughtful, efficient manner. And that’s just for one school. If you’re serious about getting into a school like Stanford, those essays will also have to be quite excellent. For less competitive schools, there might not even be any supplemental essays to write.

While Stanford is the exception to the rule – many top colleges will just require one or two longer essays – it doesn’t diminish the effort needed to effectively apply to these schools. As a result, it’s imperative that rising juniors get a head start on their college essay brainstorming, writing, and editing.

The timeline below is geared towards students with ambitious college lists. The workload has been well spaced out, but in the later months, I’d say it’s a little on the late side for getting certain things done. Overall, July and August are ideal months to get a big chunk of your essay work finished. The schedule is as follows:

Research colleges and narrow down your college list dramatically.

Although you don’t have to make final decisions for your college list yet, you want to have a number of schools that you’re stoked to apply to and will stay on your college list. The earlier you can accomplish this, the earlier you can start on the rest of the application work. Do online research, visit campuses if possible, check out schools on CampusReel, attend college fairs, talk to alumni, etc. This is about you figuring out where it is you can academically flourish.

Brainstorm and draft your first Common App personal statement essay.

While the Common App only requires one essay, we do suggest that you draft at least two different essays with different topics so that you have some options later on. Unused essays can easily be used for other essay prompts down the line. Most students are in the middle of AP exams throughout this month, so they usually don’t have time to do much more than this.

Edit your first essay into a final rough draft (before getting feedback from others).

In order to give an essay a proper chance in the editing process, it needs to be crafted to the vision that you have for it. Great essays ideas are oftentimes thrown away because the first version of an essay was executed poorly and readers are unable to even comprehend the message behind it. Before asking others to give feedback, really try to finalize the essay to the best of your ability.

Brainstorm and draft your second Common App personal statement essay.

Try to go a completely different direction with this essay. Different prompt, different organization, different anecdote and message. If the essay is too similar to the previous one, you probably won’t ever one of these drafts ,and it will be somewhat a waste of time.

(Optional) If you’re still not satisfied with either of your Common App essays, you can try for a third idea.

Just like it says, some students are still not satisfied by what they’ve come up with, but think they’re really close to finding the right topic. Remember, your main essay is the only essay that you put THIS much work into because of how important it is.

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Edit your second Common App essay to a final rough draft.

Like mentioned above, you should fully complete your essay idea before getting feedback.

Decide on schools to apply to for early admissions. Brainstorm/draft those supplemental essays.

This should be the first busy month for essay writing. The summer is the best time to get essay drafts done, and most students have this entire month off from school. If you can decide on which schools you’ll be applying to early, it’ll be easier to know how much work you have to finish before the Nov. 1st deadlines. The only thing holding applicants back from REALLY putting the pedal to the metal is the fact that many schools don’t release their updated essay prompts until August.

(Optional) Brainstorm and draft essays for the UC Applications

If you’re really hesitant to work on essays because official updated prompts for your schools haven’t come out yet, then working on the UC essays can be a safe alternative. The UCs rarely change the prompts and even if they did change them, the changes would probably be announced by now.

Get feedback on your two (or three) Common App personal statement essays, decide one which one to use, and make final edits.

This is a really important decision for your application. Your personal statement essay is the face of your application and one of the only ways to show your personality. Make sure to get feedback from not too many and not too few people. Too much feedback will give you a lot of contradicting opinions while too little feedback could miss some glaring problems if that person isn’t experienced in college essay writing. A good number of people to get feedback from is about three or four different people. These should be people who know you well and have experience with personal writing.

Finish rough drafts for your early admission supplemental essays.

All essay prompts should be released by this point, so there’s no need to hold back anymore. This should be the month that you get as much work done as possible. For any essays that you wrote with the incorrect prompt, don’t throw them away. They can oftentimes be used to address other, more flexible supplemental essay prompts later on.

Finalize your college list. Map out all essay prompts for UC applications and all regular decisions schools.

Before diving into the essay drafting, make sure to finalize your college list and find opportunities to reuse essays you’ve already written. You want to find any opportunity to reduce your workload and there’s no need to write new responses to similar essay prompts if you wrote a great response for another school. (Note: You shouldn’t reuse any type of “Why Us” essays for other schools. You can reuse the overall format, but never the details or reasons for wanting to attend a school)

(Optional) Reach out to professors/administrators at the school and department of your early schools with questions about the program you expect to apply to.

This is a great tool for demonstrating interest and learning details about your intended programs that you can’t find on the website. In addition, conversations with faculty at your early schools can give great tidbits that you can use for a “Why Us?” essay. I’ve even had students use an exchange of emails with a professor as a compelling argument for wanting to attend that school, arguing that the correspondence of the professor ensured the student that the school had the type of mentors they were looking for in their college experience.

Get feedback and finalize your supplemental essays for early schools.

Getting your early application essay work done this early helps you to space out all the regular decision application work later on. These essays are usually for some of your top choice schools, so make sure to spend a lot of time polishing these essays and getting feedback, similar to your Common App personal statement process. Many of these essays will also be reused for other prompts later on.

Brainstorm and draft all UC application essays.

UC application deadlines are at the end of November, so they should be your next priority if you haven’t worked on them already. There are eight prompts to choose from, and you pick four. It doesn’t matter too much which prompts you choose, so try to choose prompts that you can reuse other essays to answer. In particular, the Common App personal statement essay is something that the UC schools don’t see, so try to reuse it for one of these essays. The main challenge here will be to reduce the word count (from 650 words to 350 words).

Submit applications for early admissions.

First off, make sure to get your early admissions applications submitted. A majority of deadlines are Nov. 1st, but some are Oct 15th, so make sure to not miss those. To be safe, try to submit your applications a week or two ahead of the deadline.

Get feedback on UC application essays and finalize.

Make sure to get these done early so that you give yourself a lot of time to work on the remaining regular decision supplemental essays. If you chose your essay prompts correctly, hopefully you can use an essay or two from here for some of your remaining school essays.

Brainstorm and draft all supplemental essays for top priority/reach schools (about half your remaining list)

You definitely want to prioritize the remainder of your applications here. Your top priority schools should be worked on first so that you have more time to work on/perfect them. Even though you’ve JUST finished submitting your early applications and it can be easy to get complacent in that accomplishment – trust me I know it’s an accomplishment – you don’t want to procrastinate on your essay work here. If you have a long college list, you have a lot more work to do and you can easily fall victim to overconfidence. Procrastination + the unfounded belief that you’ll definitely get into Penn for Early Decision is a recipe for disaster. If you’re applying to all the Ivies, the two weeks in December after early results come out is not enough time to effectively work on your regular decision application essays.

Get feedback and finalize your first batch of regular decision essays.

It’s important to get a good chunk of regular decision essays done in November, otherwise December is going to be a mess. Students applying to a number of top 20 reach schools for regular decision will have the majority of their essay work ahead of them and not a lot of time to ensure they’re writing their best possible essays. Do. Not. Procrastinate. Here.

Brainstorm and draft all remaining supplemental essays.

Like I mentioned before, continue to look for opportunities to reuse drafts for other schools. You should be reaching critical mass around this time of having an essay draft for just about any prompt that a school will give you. You’ll just have to adjust word counts or the focus of the learning point a little bit. 

Submit your UC applications

These applications are due Nov. 30th but try to get them submitted a week or two early. Remember, the UC applications are a separate system than the Common Application.

Finalize the rest of your regular decision essays

This is it: the home stretch of the admissions process, and it’s now or never to get those application essays done. Make sure to keep track of the specific deadlines for the schools you’re applying to and prioritize based on application deadlines. If you have a school that isn’t due until Feb 1st, like Michigan, then you should do those essays last and prioritize the essays for applications due Jan 1st. 

If you’re getting any help from counselors or teachers for editing your essays, keep in mind that many of them will stop checking their emails once Christmas break starts. Make sure to get things into them ahead of time and be respectful of their time. If you didn’t get your drafts to them in due time to give feedback, don’t get upset if they tell you that they won’t sacrifice their vacation to help you. Again, plan ahead. 

Submit the rest of your college applications

We recommend that you submit everything at least a week in advance. There are a lot of little things that can come up that you want to be able to keep track of. In particular, the earlier you submit your applications, the earlier you’ll get access to the schools’ application portals on their websites. Once you have access to this, you can double check and see if the school’s have received everything that’s required of you to submit. I can’t stress this enough. 

Final Thoughts

The overall workload here is really dependent on your college list, so if your list isn’t as ambitious, some of the timelines above might not apply to you. The main point here is that getting a head start and planning your essay workload is essential to limiting how stressful the college application process needs to be. It’s already stressful enough as is. 

Also, I know that procrastination and writing fatigue are real obstacles in this process. You guys aren’t essay robots able to churn out quality drafts on a strict schedule. This timeline wasn’t meant to be followed exactly. But that doesn’t mean that setting goals and putting pressure on yourself early on isn’t going to help you get the ball rolling. Trust me, a little work now will go a long way towards boosting your confidence and overall preparedness throughout this process. 

One great way to keep yourself accountable in the essay drafting process is to work with a friend, a parent, a teacher, anyone who will expect you to send them drafts. If you ask your English teacher to help you with a personal statement draft and they agree to help, you’ll have some accountability in the quality of the draft and in the timeframe that you deliver that draft to them. Don’t go at this journey alone, especially in the editing process, and always ask for help. 

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The Ultimate College Application Timeline: From Search to Acceptance

The college application process can be incredibly stressful. From campus tours to letters of recommendation to essays, you have a lot to keep track of. With so much to do, it’s hard to know where or when to start!

To make sure you’re on the right path, we’ve created the ultimate college application timeline. Through junior and senior year, follow along with our comprehensive blog and printable timeline to make sure you successfully go from college search to acceptance!

Junior Year

September – January

• Attend college fairs. Virtual or in-person, college fairs can be a great place to acclimate to the college search process. Here’s our guide on making the most of college fairs.
• Begin test prep and take the PSAT. If you haven’t already taken it, now’s the time. College Board , the host of the PSATs, has your prepping needs covered.
• The SAT is generally offered March-June and October-December. Get a rundown of the SAT basics here.
• The ACT is offered February-December. Learn more and sign up on the official ACT website.
• Not sure which to take? Here’s our quick comparison of the SAT and ACT.

March – June

• Take the Niche College Quiz. After you’re done taking our quiz , visit your suggested schools’ profiles and research those you’re interested in.
• Make your list of colleges. Start with 15-20 schools— including safety, target and reach schools —for now and narrow them down later. To start adding colleges to your list , consider factors like location , tuition, reputation, size, selectivity, and if the school has a strong program for your intended major (if you know it yet).
• Attend campus visits and/or information sessions. Colleges can seem like a dream on paper, but there’s not always the same feeling once you get there. When you visit, get a feel for academic offerings, campus layout, dining options, dorm situation and social scene. To make the most of your visits, plan them properly . If you can’t go in-person, explore virtual visit options.
• Explore possible majors. For some, this is a simple feat. For others, it’s simply nerve wracking. There are many factors to consider when choosing a major.
• Prepare for and take the SAT/ACT. Know all the tips and tricks before you show up on test day. We’ve got plenty of suggestions for proper test prep to help you earn your ideal score. If you don’t like your score, set a new goal, hit the books, and try again in the fall—or superscore it . Still need help? There are more test prep resources.
• Keep your grades up (or bring them up). Junior year grades are the most closely analyzed by college admissions teams. Give that extra effort so you’re putting your best academic self out there.
• Ask for teacher/counselor letters of recommendation. Ideally, ask your junior year teachers or, if you know your intended major, a teacher who teaches a relevant subject. We have some pointers for getting counselor recs , too. Ask weeks, if not months, ahead of time. Here are all the details you should consider when asking for a letter of recommendation.

• Get summer experience. Spend your summer wisely by volunteering, getting a job, job shadowing , or participating in a summer college program or camp. Your best bet to impress schools is to do something relevant to your interests, skills or goals.
• Brainstorm ideas for your personal essay , AKA personal statement or Common App essay. This is your time to share something about yourself to your prospective universities. Get the creative juices flowing.
• Talk with parents or guardians about who’s paying for college and how. It can be a touchy subject, but it’s best to hash out the financial responsibilities before you get too far along in your search. Work your way through our financial aid checklist for the most productive convos.
• Start researching scholarships. A good place to get started? Niche’s list of college scholarships , of course.
• Get your FSA ID. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA ) determines your eligibility for student financial aid. Even if you think your family won’t qualify, submit a FAFSA. Create a username and password (FSA ID) on the FAFSA website to get started. The first day you can file is Oct. 1.
• Narrow down your list of colleges.
• Make an activities/honors list. As you begin filling out college and scholarship applications, a high school resume will be extremely helpful . List your activities, accomplishments, awards, volunteer work, and actual work experience from ninth grade until now. Mention the tasks you accomplished, skills you gained and/or leadership roles you held. Creating an all-purpose brag sheet can also help you prep for your personal essay, scholarship apps, alumni interviews and more.
• Draft your personal essay. It goes without saying that writing an essay can be challenging. For a little inspo and insight, check out our guide to acing the college essay.
• Create necessary application accounts (Ex: Common App, Coalition App, ApplyTexas, UC Application). Each application account serves different universities, so do some research to see which application is accepted by your potential colleges.
• Understand what types of admissions deadlines you’ll face. Admissions types and deadlines greatly affect your approach to applying. Know whether you’re interested in applying early action, early decision, restricted early action or regular decision (most common). Not sure? We can help you decide which admissions types best fit you.

Senior Year

• Follow up with recommenders. Follow our guide to reminding your recommenders and you’ll have your letters of recommendation in no time.
• Continue narrowing down your list of colleges. Trim your list down to the 5-10 colleges that you love the most. Be strategic: Choose at least two safety schools, several target schools, and one or two reach schools.
• Retake the SAT/ACT (if needed). If you weren’t happy with your previous SAT score, now is the time to take it again.
• Complete your CSS Profile, if required by any of your schools. Here’s the most up-to-date list of schools that require a CSS profile. And here are all the ins and outs on how to create a CSS Profile—and why.
• If applying to a University of California (UC) school, draft your early application. UC deadlines are earlier than most. All apps are due Nov. 30.
• Keep researching and applying for scholarships. Explore 5 scholarships you can apply to right now. No joke.
• Complete and submit your FAFSA. Submit your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as close to Oct. 1 as possible. You’ll need a lot of financial docs, and we give the whole rundown in our comprehensive FAFSA guide.
• Finish your personal essay and activities list.
• Draft college-specific supplemental essays. For more essay-writing insight, explore these tips on writing supplemental essays. If you’re applying early decision/early action, finish them now.
• Submit early application/early decision applications. Most early application/early decision deadlines are Nov. 1 or Nov. 15. The Common Application early decision deadline is typically Nov. 1.
• Ask your school counselor to send your transcripts. Protocol varies at each high school, but you’ll want to request them at least two weeks before they’re due. For the whole spiel, check our comprehensive guide on requesting transcripts for college.
• If applying to a UC school, finalize your supplemental essay.
• If applying to a UC school, submit your application. The deadline is Nov. 30.
• Finalize college list. Hear a student’s perspective on how to tackle and trim down your college list.
• Edit supplemental essays.
• Search and apply for more scholarships. Consider this your friendly reminder!
• Send test scores to your schools. You can choose your score recipients before or after you take the test. Here’s how to submit your SAT scores. And here’s how to submit your ACT scores.
• Review early decision/early action acceptance letters. If accepted, celebrate! If deferred, send a letter of continued interest. If rejected, review your application and its essay, and decide whether to make improvements for future applications.
• Finalize your supplemental essays.
• Submit your regular decision applications. Before you do: Read our last-minute reminders. Most regular decision deadlines are Jan.1 or Jan. 15. The Common Application deadline is typically Jan. 1. After hitting “submit,” there are still a few things to wrap up.

January – February

• Submit mid-year grade reports. Some colleges require mid-year or second semester grade reports. If this is the case, make sure your counselor has the necessary forms.
• Prepare for and complete alumni/admissions interviews. Do all the prepwork for a successful interview , including how to navigate a virtual interview.
• Apply for more scholarships. The internet is your friend—most of the time. Here are really easy and inventive ways to use Google to fuel your scholarship search.

March – April

• If deferred/waitlisted, reach out and write a letter of continued interest.
• If rejected, send an appeal letter.
• Review financial aid packages. If you need help understanding the lingo, we’ve got a simple explainer on how to read your financial aid award letter . If you’re happy with their offers, great! If you’re not, you may want to appeal for a better package.
• Decide on your top schools.
• Study for and take AP exams. It could help with earning college credit ahead of time. Learn more about how AP exams could benefit you.
• Apply for more scholarships.
• Make a final decision by May 1. Yes! You did it. After you notify your school (and let the others know you’re heading elsewhere), it’s time to celebrate!
• Notify your supporters of your decision—and thank them! They’ll be so happy for you. A note, a gift, a high five—just let them know you appreciate their support. Here’s a rundown of all the people you should be thanking.

Download The Ultimate College Application Timeline PDF!

Author: Lissett Bohannon

Lissett Bohannon earned her BS in Psychology from the University of Idaho and her Masters in Education from UT Austin. She has worked at every level of education from teaching first grade to working in higher ed at UT Austin. The majority of her experience and passion lies in her work as a high school counselor. In January 2020, she started a social media platform “ThatSchoolCounselor” to help students navigate their journey through high school and plan for their future. With over 120K followers on TikTok and over 97 million views on her hashtag #thatschoolcounselor, she reaches students at a national level. She is currently enjoying her role as the Niche School Counselor and resides with her family in Austin, TX

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College essays are an entirely new type of writing for high school seniors. For that reason, many students are confused about proper formatting and essay structure. Should you double-space or single-space? Do you need a title? What kind of narrative style is best-suited for your topic?

In this post, we’ll be going over proper college essay format, traditional and unconventional essay structures (plus sample essays!), and which structure might work best for you. 

General College Essay Formatting Guidelines

How you format your essay will depend on whether you’re submitting in a text box, or attaching a document. We’ll go over the different best practices for both, but regardless of how you’re submitting, here are some general formatting tips:

• There’s no need for a title; it takes up unnecessary space and eats into your word count
• Stay within the word count as much as possible (+/- 10% of the upper limit). For further discussion on college essay length, see our post How Long Should Your College Essay Be?
• Indent or double space to separate paragraphs clearly

If you’re submitting in a text box:

• Avoid italics and bold, since formatting often doesn’t transfer over in text boxes
• Be careful with essays meant to be a certain shape (like a balloon); text boxes will likely not respect that formatting. Beyond that, this technique can also seem gimmicky, so proceed with caution
• Make sure that paragraphs are clearly separated, as text boxes can also undo indents and double spacing

If you’re attaching a document:

• Use a standard font and size like Times New Roman, 12 point
• Make your lines 1.5-spaced or double-spaced
• Use 1-inch margins
• Save as a PDF since it can’t be edited. This also prevents any formatting issues that come with Microsoft Word, since older versions are sometimes incompatible with the newer formatting
• Number each page with your last name in the header or footer (like “Smith 1”)
• Pay extra attention to any word limits, as you won’t be cut off automatically, unlike with most text boxes

Conventional College Essay Structures

Now that we’ve gone over the logistical aspects of your essay, let’s talk about how you should structure your writing. There are three traditional college essay structures. They are:

• In-the-moment narrative
• Narrative told over an extended period of time
• Series of anecdotes, or montage

Let’s go over what each one is exactly, and take a look at some real essays using these structures.

1. In-the-moment narrative

This is where you tell the story one moment at a time, sharing the events as they occur. In the moment narrative is a powerful essay format, as your reader experiences the events, your thoughts, and your emotions with you . This structure is ideal for a specific experience involving extensive internal dialogue, emotions, and reflections.

Here’s an example:

The morning of the Model United Nation conference, I walked into Committee feeling confident about my research. We were simulating the Nuremberg Trials – a series of post-World War II proceedings for war crimes – and my portfolio was of the Soviet Judge Major General Iona Nikitchenko. Until that day, the infamous Nazi regime had only been a chapter in my history textbook; however, the conference’s unveiling of each defendant’s crimes brought those horrors to life. The previous night, I had organized my research, proofread my position paper and gone over Judge Nikitchenko’s pertinent statements. I aimed to find the perfect balance between his stance and my own.

As I walked into committee anticipating a battle of wits, my director abruptly called out to me. “I’m afraid we’ve received a late confirmation from another delegate who will be representing Judge Nikitchenko. You, on the other hand, are now the defense attorney, Otto Stahmer.” Everyone around me buzzed around the room in excitement, coordinating with their allies and developing strategies against their enemies, oblivious to the bomb that had just dropped on me. I felt frozen in my tracks, and it seemed that only rage against the careless delegate who had confirmed her presence so late could pull me out of my trance. After having spent a month painstakingly crafting my verdicts and gathering evidence against the Nazis, I now needed to reverse my stance only three hours before the first session.

Gradually, anger gave way to utter panic. My research was fundamental to my performance, and without it, I knew I could add little to the Trials. But confident in my ability, my director optimistically recommended constructing an impromptu defense. Nervously, I began my research anew. Despite feeling hopeless, as I read through the prosecution’s arguments, I uncovered substantial loopholes. I noticed a lack of conclusive evidence against the defendants and certain inconsistencies in testimonies. My discovery energized me, inspiring me to revisit the historical overview in my conference “Background Guide” and to search the web for other relevant articles. Some Nazi prisoners had been treated as “guilty” before their court dates. While I had brushed this information under the carpet while developing my position as a judge, it now became the focus of my defense. I began scratching out a new argument, centered on the premise that the allied countries had violated the fundamental rule that, a defendant was “not guilty” until proven otherwise.

At the end of the three hours, I felt better prepared. The first session began, and with bravado, I raised my placard to speak. Microphone in hand, I turned to face my audience. “Greetings delegates. I, Otto Stahmer would like to…….” I suddenly blanked. Utter dread permeated my body as I tried to recall my thoughts in vain. “Defence Attorney, Stahmer we’ll come back to you,” my Committee Director broke the silence as I tottered back to my seat, flushed with embarrassment. Despite my shame, I was undeterred. I needed to vindicate my director’s faith in me. I pulled out my notes, refocused, and began outlining my arguments in a more clear and direct manner. Thereafter, I spoke articulately, confidently putting forth my points. I was overjoyed when Secretariat members congratulated me on my fine performance.

Going into the conference, I believed that preparation was the key to success. I wouldn’t say I disagree with that statement now, but I believe adaptability is equally important. My ability to problem-solve in the face of an unforeseen challenge proved advantageous in the art of diplomacy. Not only did this experience transform me into a confident and eloquent delegate at that conference, but it also helped me become a more flexible and creative thinker in a variety of other capacities. Now that I know I can adapt under pressure, I look forward to engaging in activities that will push me to be even quicker on my feet.

This essay is an excellent example of in-the-moment narration. The student openly shares their internal state with us — we feel their anger and panic upon the reversal of roles. We empathize with their emotions of “utter dread” and embarrassment when they’re unable to speak. 

For in-the-moment essays, overloading on descriptions is a common mistake students make. This writer provides just the right amount of background and details to help us understand the situation, however, and balances out the actual event with reflection on the significance of this experience. 

One main area of improvement is that the writer sometimes makes explicit statements that could be better illustrated through their thoughts, actions, and feelings. For instance, they say they “spoke articulately” after recovering from their initial inability to speak, and they also claim that adaptability has helped them in other situations. This is not as engaging as actual examples that convey the same meaning. Still, this essay overall is a strong example of in-the-moment narration, and gives us a relatable look into the writer’s life and personality.

2. Narrative told over an extended period of time

In this essay structure, you share a story that takes place across several different experiences. This narrative style is well-suited for any story arc with multiple parts. If you want to highlight your development over time, you might consider this structure. 

When I was younger, I was adamant that no two foods on my plate touch. As a result, I often used a second plate to prevent such an atrocity. In many ways, I learned to separate different things this way from my older brothers, Nate and Rob. Growing up, I idolized both of them. Nate was a performer, and I insisted on arriving early to his shows to secure front row seats, refusing to budge during intermission for fear of missing anything. Rob was a three-sport athlete, and I attended his games religiously, waving worn-out foam cougar paws and cheering until my voice was hoarse. My brothers were my role models. However, while each was talented, neither was interested in the other’s passion. To me, they represented two contrasting ideals of what I could become: artist or athlete. I believed I had to choose.

And for a long time, I chose athlete. I played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse and viewed myself exclusively as an athlete, believing the arts were not for me. I conveniently overlooked that since the age of five, I had been composing stories for my family for Christmas, gifts that were as much for me as them, as I loved writing. So when in tenth grade, I had the option of taking a creative writing class, I was faced with a question: could I be an athlete and a writer? After much debate, I enrolled in the class, feeling both apprehensive and excited. When I arrived on the first day of school, my teacher, Ms. Jenkins, asked us to write down our expectations for the class. After a few minutes, eraser shavings stubbornly sunbathing on my now-smudged paper, I finally wrote, “I do not expect to become a published writer from this class. I just want this to be a place where I can write freely.”

Although the purpose of the class never changed for me, on the third “submission day,” – our time to submit writing to upcoming contests and literary magazines – I faced a predicament. For the first two submission days, I had passed the time editing earlier pieces, eventually (pretty quickly) resorting to screen snake when hopelessness made the words look like hieroglyphics. I must not have been as subtle as I thought, as on the third of these days, Ms. Jenkins approached me. After shifting from excuse to excuse as to why I did not submit my writing, I finally recognized the real reason I had withheld my work: I was scared. I did not want to be different, and I did not want to challenge not only others’ perceptions of me, but also my own. I yielded to Ms. Jenkin’s pleas and sent one of my pieces to an upcoming contest.

By the time the letter came, I had already forgotten about the contest. When the flimsy white envelope arrived in the mail, I was shocked and ecstatic to learn that I had received 2nd place in a nationwide writing competition. The next morning, however, I discovered Ms. Jenkins would make an announcement to the whole school exposing me as a poet. I decided to own this identity and embrace my friends’ jokes and playful digs, and over time, they have learned to accept and respect this part of me. I have since seen more boys at my school identifying themselves as writers or artists.

I no longer see myself as an athlete and a poet independently, but rather I see these two aspects forming a single inseparable identity – me. Despite their apparent differences, these two disciplines are quite similar, as each requires creativity and devotion. I am still a poet when I am lacing up my cleats for soccer practice and still an athlete when I am building metaphors in the back of my mind – and I have realized ice cream and gummy bears taste pretty good together.

The timeline of this essay spans from the writer’s childhood all the way to sophomore year, but we only see key moments along this journey. First, we get context for why the writer thought he had to choose one identity: his older brothers had very distinct interests. Then, we learn about the student’s 10th grade creative writing class, writing contest, and results of the contest. Finally, the essay covers the writers’ embarrassment of his identity as a poet, to gradual acceptance and pride in that identity. 

This essay is a great example of a narrative told over an extended period of time. It’s highly personal and reflective, as the piece shares the writer’s conflicting feelings, and takes care to get to the root of those feelings. Furthermore, the overarching story is that of a personal transformation and development, so it’s well-suited to this essay structure.

3. Series of anecdotes, or montage

This essay structure allows you to focus on the most important experiences of a single storyline, or it lets you feature multiple (not necessarily related) stories that highlight your personality. Montage is a structure where you piece together separate scenes to form a whole story. This technique is most commonly associated with film. Just envision your favorite movie—it likely is a montage of various scenes that may not even be chronological. 

Night had robbed the academy of its daytime colors, yet there was comfort in the dim lights that cast shadows of our advances against the bare studio walls. Silhouettes of roundhouse kicks, spin crescent kicks, uppercuts and the occasional butterfly kick danced while we sparred. She approached me, eyes narrowed with the trace of a smirk challenging me. “Ready spar!” Her arm began an upward trajectory targeting my shoulder, a common first move. I sidestepped — only to almost collide with another flying fist. Pivoting my right foot, I snapped my left leg, aiming my heel at her midsection. The center judge raised one finger. 

There was no time to celebrate, not in the traditional sense at least. Master Pollard gave a brief command greeted with a unanimous “Yes, sir” and the thud of 20 hands dropping-down-and-giving-him-30, while the “winners” celebrated their victory with laps as usual. 

Three years ago, seven-thirty in the evening meant I was a warrior. It meant standing up straighter, pushing a little harder, “Yes, sir” and “Yes, ma’am”, celebrating birthdays by breaking boards, never pointing your toes, and familiarity. Three years later, seven-thirty in the morning meant I was nervous. 

The room is uncomfortably large. The sprung floor soaks up the checkerboard of sunlight piercing through the colonial windows. The mirrored walls further illuminate the studio and I feel the light scrutinizing my sorry attempts at a pas de bourrée , while capturing the organic fluidity of the dancers around me. “ Chassé en croix, grand battement, pique, pirouette.” I follow the graceful limbs of the woman in front of me, her legs floating ribbons, as she executes what seems to be a perfect ronds de jambes. Each movement remains a negotiation. With admirable patience, Ms. Tan casts me a sympathetic glance.   

There is no time to wallow in the misery that is my right foot. Taekwondo calls for dorsiflexion; pointed toes are synonymous with broken toes. My thoughts drag me into a flashback of the usual response to this painful mistake: “You might as well grab a tutu and head to the ballet studio next door.” Well, here I am Master Pollard, unfortunately still following your orders to never point my toes, but no longer feeling the satisfaction that comes with being a third degree black belt with 5 years of experience quite literally under her belt. It’s like being a white belt again — just in a leotard and ballet slippers. 

But the appetite for new beginnings that brought me here doesn’t falter. It is only reinforced by the classical rendition of “Dancing Queen” that floods the room and the ghost of familiarity that reassures me that this new beginning does not and will not erase the past. After years spent at the top, it’s hard to start over. But surrendering what you are only leads you to what you may become. In Taekwondo, we started each class reciting the tenets: honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility, and knowledge, and I have never felt that I embodied those traits more so than when I started ballet. 

The thing about change is that it eventually stops making things so different. After nine different schools, four different countries, three different continents, fluency in Tamil, Norwegian, and English, there are more blurred lines than there are clear fragments. My life has not been a tactfully executed, gold medal-worthy Taekwondo form with each movement defined, nor has it been a series of frappés performed by a prima ballerina with each extension identical and precise, but thankfully it has been like the dynamics of a spinning back kick, fluid, and like my chances of landing a pirouette, unpredictable. 

This essay takes a few different anecdotes and weaves them into a coherent narrative about the writer’s penchant for novel experiences. We’re plunged into her universe, in the middle of her Taekwondo spar, three years before the present day. She then transitions into a scene in a ballet studio, present day. By switching from past tense to present tense, the writer clearly demarcates this shift in time. 

The parallel use of the spoken phrase “Point” in the essay ties these two experiences together. The writer also employs a flashback to Master Pollard’s remark about “grabbing a tutu” and her habit of dorsiflexing her toes, which further cements the connection between these anecdotes. 

While some of the descriptions are a little wordy, the piece is well-executed overall, and is a stellar example of the montage structure. The two anecdotes are seamlessly intertwined, and they both clearly illustrate the student’s determination, dedication, reflectiveness, and adaptability. The writer also concludes the essay with a larger reflection on her life, many moves, and multiple languages. 

Unconventional College Essay Structures

Unconventional essay structures are any that don’t fit into the categories above. These tend to be higher risk, as it’s easier to turn off the admissions officer, but they’re also higher reward if executed correctly. 

There are endless possibilities for unconventional structures, but most fall under one of two categories:

1. Playing with essay format

Instead of choosing a traditional narrative format, you might take a more creative route to showcase your interests, writing your essay:

• As a movie script
• With a creative visual format (such as creating a visual pattern with the spaces between your sentences forming a picture)
• As a two-sided Lincoln-Douglas debate
• As a legal brief
• Using song lyrics

2. Linguistic techniques

You could also play with the actual language and sentence structure of your essay, writing it:

• In iambic pentameter
• Partially in your mother tongue
• In code or a programming language

These linguistic techniques are often hybrid, where you write some of the essay with the linguistic variation, then write more of an explanation in English.

Under no circumstances should you feel pressured to use an unconventional structure. Trying to force something unconventional will only hurt your chances. That being said, if a creative structure comes naturally to you, suits your personality, and works with the content of your essay — go for that structure!

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College Admissions

For many students and their parents, the college application process is a source of tremendous anxiety. Fear not. If you familiarize yourself with this process and devote enough time to it, I’m confident that you’ll be able to make it through unscathed and end up at a quality college.

In this article, we'll go over the college application deadlines you need to know. More importantly, we'll give you a complete college application timeline, detailing what you should be doing at each point in your high school career to ensure that you can submit exceptional college applications.

Overview of the College Application Process

If you want to successfully complete the college application process, meet every college application deadline , and make yourself as competitive for college admission as possible, you will be directly or indirectly working on your college application well before your applications are due . In fact, if you have any intention of applying to selective colleges, this process can really begin as early as your freshman year .

The major components of your application that will be evaluated are your transcript, your standardized test scores, your recommendations, your personal essay, and your extracurricular activities .

In this article, I’ll walk you through an ideal college planning timeline to ensure that you’re able to have every aspect of your final application be as strong as possible . Keep in mind this college application timeline is a recommendation: you may find it makes sense to tackle these steps a little ahead of our suggestions. The thing to keep in mind is that you want to plan ahead. Waiting until the last minute can negatively impact your ability to get into your dream school.

Freshman and Sophomore Years

While you don’t have to seriously think about what colleges you want to apply to before your junior year, your first two years of high school will influence the quality of your college application . Even though there are a few colleges including University of California schools that won’t consider your freshman grades, your sophomore grades will definitely factor into your high school GPA and help determine whether you’re accepted to the college of your choice.

Pay attention to what classes you take .  Selective colleges want to see that you’ve excelled in rigorous classes throughout your high school years . Some high schools are hesitant to allow students to take honors or AP classes in their junior years if they haven’t taken advanced classes in their first two years of high school.

Furthermore, colleges are concerned with how many years you’ve taken core subjects (math, English, science, history, and foreign language). If you don’t take a foreign language or history class in your freshman or sophomore year, you’ll be a less competitive applicant.

Also, make sure you’re involved in extracurricular activities . Colleges like to see that you've committed yourself to your extracurriculars . The student who has excelled in the same extracurricular activity throughout high school is a more impressive applicant than the student who first starts doing an extracurricular in his junior year.

Start studying for the SAT/ACT . Generally, you should start studying for the SAT/ACT in your sophomore year or the summer before your junior year.  We recommend that you take the SAT/ACT for the first time in the fall of your junior year. Start studying early to prepare yourself thoroughly.

Calsidyrose /Flickr  

Fall of Junior Year

The biggest college application deadline you have to meet in your junior year is taking your standardized tests. Universities use test scores as a way to determine whether a student is prepared to succeed at their school. The more competitive the university, the higher your test scores will need to be.  

In the fall of your junior year, you should take the SAT or ACT for the first time. Also, start researching colleges . You don’t need to finalize your list of schools at this point, but if you identify colleges you’re interested in, you’ll have a better sense of what you need to do to make yourself competitive for admission . Additionally, you’ll be able to determine your target score for the SAT or ACT .

Then, you can decide if you need to retake your SAT/ACT , and you can figure out how to improve your score , if need be.

Spring of Junior Year

In the spring of your junior year, you should make a preliminary list of colleges you want to apply to . Use college finders , college search websites , and ranking lists to help you. Having this list will give you ample time to complete all your application requirements and ensure that you can reach your target scores on your standardized tests. Divide your list into reach , target , and safety  schools.

If necessary, retake your SAT or ACT . Ideally, you’ll achieve your target score this time around. Again, make sure you’re prepared .

Finally, you should ask teachers if they’re willing to write recommendation letters for you . If you ask them early, your teachers will have more time to think about them, and you may get better recommendations. Keep in mind that many teachers will be bombarded by students asking for recommendations during your senior year, so be sure to ask early!

Summer Before Senior Year

In the summer before your senior year, try to finalize your list of colleges . This isn't a hard college application deadline, but doing so will make your life a lot easier in the fall! Additionally, make sure you’re familiar with the application requirements for each school. That way you'll be ready to start your applications as soon as possible. 

If you still need to take the SAT or ACT to reach your target score, do some intense studying over the summer .

Also, start thinking about and preparing for your college application essays .  Come up with ideas and write first drafts . The more you do over the summer, the less you'll have to worry about during the school year .

Fall of Senior Year

Most likely, the fall of your senior year will be rather busy. In the fall, you have to make sure your college applications are ready, so there are lots of college application deadlines you need to be aware of.

First, formally ask for recommendations early in the semester . Don’t wait until one week before your application deadlines to ask. Teachers who are too busy or inundated with recommendation requests may decline to write your letters or will be unable to write you a good recommendation at the last minute.

Next, polish your college essays . College essays take much more time than you think. Even though the essay isn’t that long, writing a great college essay can be time-consuming . Again, there's no hard deadline for getting these done, but we recommend you finish your essays one to two months before your application is due. That way you have time to revise, revise, revise! 

To make sure you're knocking your essays out of the park, write multiple drafts, and if possible, allow your teachers and counselors to review your essays and offer advice. For years, I spent many hours helping procrastinating students revise college essays the night before their applications were due. I'm having painful flashbacks. Let's proceed to the actual, hard-and-fast college application deadlines you need to know about. 

Typically, early decision and early action applications are due by November 15. If you apply early, the Oct. or Nov. SAT/ACT will most likely be your last chance to take the test. Early applicants are usually notified by early December regarding admissions decisions.

For most colleges, regular decision application deadlines are January 1st , but some popular colleges have earlier deadlines. For example, the deadline for University of California applications is the end of November. Be aware of the deadlines for all the schools on your list.

Make sure that you have submitted all necessary applications, forms, and score reports. Make a checklist for each school of what you need to submit . Luckily, your life may be easier because more colleges are using the Common Application or the Coalition Application .

If you still need to take the SAT/ACT, do some quality studying and take the test in time so you can get your scores to the colleges . For most schools, the December tests will be your last opportunity, but a few colleges will allow you to submit scores from January or February.

If you need financial aid, begin working on the financial aid process . Each college has its own financial aid requirements. Check the school’s website and financial aid office for requirements and deadlines for financial aid. If you want to be eligible for financial aid, make sure you complete the FAFSA . Become knowledgeable about financial aid and explore all your options to pay for college.

Spring of Senior Year

You'll hear about your regular decision applications by late March or early April . Hopefully, you'll be accepted by multiple colleges.

Continue researching the colleges that accept you to choose the college that will be best for you . If you applied for financial aid, the colleges that accepted you will give you their financial aid offers shortly after they accept you.

You can use the financial aid packages to determine how much you’ll have to pay for each school and factor that into your college decision.  Typically, you have to decide which school you’ll attend by May 1 .

Special Message to the Procrastinators

The college application timeline I’ve given you is ideal for maximizing the quality of your application and minimizing stress . Admittedly, many students don’t begin thinking about the college application process until the fall of their senior year. Some of these students are still able to successfully complete all of their applications and attend the college of their dreams.

However, I think every student benefits from sticking to the college application timeline I laid out. I know students who were unable to submit applications on time because they waited too long to start writing their essays. I know students who severely limited their college options because they didn’t do enough college research. Also, the majority of students I’ve worked with could have done better on their standardized tests if they had given themselves more time to study .

Furthermore, you’ll be busy with school and extracurricular activities during your senior year. If you don’t start contemplating the application process until the fall of your senior year, you’re likely to feel overwhelmed given all of your other responsibilities. If you devote more time to this process earlier, it will be easier and you'll be more likely to accomplish your goals.

What's Next?

Do you need more information to successfully stick to this college application timeline? We've got tons of other guides and resources to help you plan.

If you're struggling to find extracurricular activities, learn about the 3 best extracurricular activities for your college application .

Are you starting to work on your college essay? Make sure you know how to write a great college essay .

Finally, to help you stay on track, review the important college application deadlines you can't miss .

Justin has extensive experience teaching SAT prep and guiding high school students through the college admissions and selection process. He is firmly committed to improving equity in education and helping students to reach their educational goals. Justin received an athletic scholarship for gymnastics at Stanford University and graduated with a BA in American Studies.

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Crunch Time: Writing College Essays on a Tight Timeline

Now that we are past November 1 and most Early Action or Early Decision 1 deadlines, many students have taken their ‘foot off the pedal’ when it comes to essay writing, but it’s worth making sure you know what the plan might be for any upcoming Regular Decision or Early Decision 2 applications.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you work on finalizing some of your essays during this crunch time: 

Always Pay Attention to the Prompt!

At times, feeling stuck on an essay can be solved by taking a closer look at the prompt and what it’s specifically asking for. ‘Why’ essays, for example, will often – implicitly or explicitly – tell you more or less exactly what they want to hear from you, which can allow you to go find the kind of specific examples or details you need to write about. Broader essay prompts can still clue you in to what the college is looking for, and sometimes utilizing those ‘close-reading’ skills you learned in English class can prompt new ideas.

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

Depending on where you are in the process, you may be able to repurpose or reconstruct former essays to fit current prompts. Simply cut and paste all relevant essays and then move through each, highlighting and color coding relevant material. Then, repurpose the material, finding the appropriate “glue” in transitional phrases. If this sounds overly simplistic, that’s because, for most cases, it is. Often, a significant portion of the essay will likely have to be rewritten or reworked, but descriptions of activities, portrayals of academic interests, and characterizations of programs, institutions, or important people can often be reappropriated to new prompts. 

…or Start All Over

Sometimes, however, it is best to let go of what was and just start all over. Rather than trying to condense the 400-word activity description for Vanderbilt into a 150-word description for Michigan, it may be best to simply start from scratch with an essay (or activity) that is more fitting. Though it may not seem like it, this is often a more efficient process and helps writers avoid the “Franken-essay” because students are trying to graft dissimilar parts. 

Save Drafts, Include Links

In our hyper-connected digital world it has never been easier to preserve different iterations of documents or to link troves of information directly into the document. To make things simpler, students should neatly organize drafts and include links to websites within the document itself. This will save valuable time when searching for a certain page detailing a program, or a certain turn of phrase from a prior draft.

Don’t Miss Hidden Essays 

Certain programs, Honors Colleges, and elective Scholarships have essays separate from those required for admission, and these essays are often embedded in the application. The worst-case scenario is for a student to think that they are done only to encounter a research-intensive essay at the last moment. 

Sign up for an Essay Coaching Session

A knowledgeable editor can provide fresh insight and direction for a student who may be stuck in a rut. If you feel like another set of eyes on your essays would be helpful, or even if you’d appreciate someone to bounce ideas off of early in the drafting process, we encourage you to reach out to hear about our great Essay Coaches – you can call (608) 841-1053 to learn more!

Finally, keep perspective . While it would be nice to write a perfect essay, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good . Remember, writing is never done, only due. Give it your best, edit carefully, submit, and then relax.  

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The College Essay Timeline

The early bird gets the worm, while the late bird procrastinates. Don’t leave your college essay for the last minute. This guide will outline the perfect college essay timeline plan to keep you on track!

What Is A College Essay Timeline?

A college essay timeline is a step-by-step plan that helps students manage their time and tasks effectively while writing a college essay. 

It helps students break down the writing process into smaller, more manageable chunks and allows them to make progress on their essay step by step. 

The timeline typically includes tasks such as researching and brainstorming ideas, outlining the essay, writing drafts and revising and editing the final version. 

By following a college essay timeline, students can ensure they have enough time to complete and submit their essays before the deadline. It is important for students to be organized and follow a timeline to produce a high-quality essay that meets the requirements of their college or university.

When To Begin College Essay Timeline?

It is generally a good idea to begin working on a college essay timeline as soon as you can. College essays are vastly required by the majority of universities you apply to.

Don’t let it stress you out much; there is no need to skip fun senior-year events over this. However, getting a head start will give you enough time to research, brainstorm, and outline your essay. You need time to write as well as revise multiple drafts. 

Seniors tend to have so many questions when it comes to college essays. I know I did! For instance,  can college essays be sad ? Or  can college essays be informal ? I answer all of these questions in other articles.

Starting early will also help reduce the stress of completing the essay on time, as you will have a plan in place to follow and will be able to complete the essay in a more relaxed and focused manner.

If you are struggling to develop ideas for your essay, begin the brainstorming and research process as soon as possible. This will give you time to explore different ideas and gather information from various sources, which will help you craft a more substantial essay.

It is also essential to consider any other commitments or deadlines you may have when determining when to begin your college essay timeline. Make sure to allocate enough time for each task and build in some flexibility for unexpected delays or changes. 

By being organized and starting early, you can set yourself up for success and produce a high-quality college essay! It is all in the timing and how much effort you put into your work.

Can I Write My College Essay About Anything?

Weirdly, yes, but also no. There is an extent to what college essays can and should cover. Most colleges provide a limited list covering topics they would like students to cover.

Nevertheless, other colleges can simply leave it open-ended, so it’s the student’s choice on what to write. For some reason, this can be even more nerve-wracking for seniors trying to write their application essays.

If you want to know the complete answer to the question, “ Can I Write My College Essay About Anything? ” Check out my article all about it.

The College Essay Timeline Outlined

Below is an outline that provides a detailed overview of the tasks and milestones involved in the college essay timeline. Organized by months in increments of two at a time should give you plenty of time to get it done!

Before junior year comes to an end, you should start narrowing down the colleges you want to apply to. There is no need to begin drastically writing essays left and right.

At this time, most students will be studying and getting ready to take their final exams. These are the moments when students need to practice equations, ask questions, and focus on passing.

Researching colleges and narrowing down your college list is a vital step in the college essay timeline. It is necessary to do your research and consider a range of factors, such as the size of the school, the location, the academic programs and majors offered, the campus culture and student life, and the cost of tuition and fees.

To begin your research, you can start by looking at websites and brochures from the colleges on your list, as well as reading online reviews and speaking with current or former alumni students. You can also visit the colleges in person or attend college fairs to get a better feel for the campus.

Once you have gathered all of this information, it is time to narrow down your college list. 

This can be challenging, as you will need to weigh each school’s pros and cons and decide which is the best fit for you. Throughout this research phase, you might wonder if you can  accept admission to multiple colleges . However, it is essential to be honest with yourself and consider your academic goals, interests, and values.

By researching colleges and narrowing down your list, you can make an informed decision about where to apply. Thus, you increase your chances of being accepted to a college that is a good match for you.

Summer is the best time of a student’s academic year. It’s sunny and warm, which is the perfect time to hit the beach. But many need to remember to hit the books too!

With no homework or exams getting in the way, it is the perfect time to brainstorm and draft two college essays. Though you technically only need one, having a backup never hurts.

Focus the topic of the essays on entirely different things so you can branch out more. You have a little over two months to get them done, so use your time wisely.

Final Drafts

By the middle of July, both of your drafts should already be finalized and ready to receive feedback. Having your college essays ready at the beginning of the school year is perfect. 

Completing your college essay over the summer can be a great way to get a head start on the college application process. Plus, it will greatly reduce your workload during the school year. 

Working on your essay over the summer will give you more time to research, brainstorm, and write without the distractions and demands of classes and other extracurricular activities.

Furthermore, it will give you time to thoroughly enjoy your senior year, which tends to be filled with various fun activities, trips, and other celebrations as a last hurrah until graduation.

To get started, it is a good idea to create a timeline and set specific goals for each week or month. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you have enough time to complete all of the tasks involved in the writing process.

While working on your essay over the summer, taking breaks and engaging in other activities is important to keep your mind fresh. It is also good to seek feedback from trusted sources, such as a teacher, counselor, or mentor, to help improve your essay.

By completing your college essay over the summer, you will have the opportunity to submit your application early and increase your chances of being accepted to your top college choices.

August-September

The following two months on the college essay timeline are strictly for making final edits and having the essay ready for submission. It is the perfect time to ask a couple of trusted individuals to read it and give you notes.

Refrain from going over the line with the number of people you ask. Aim for around 3-5, so you get enough opinions but not too many. Asking a teacher, counselor, and mentor can boost the academic aspect of your essay.

Nevertheless, asking a parent, guardian, or close friend can enhance your personal essence and show the college admission officers an inside of your personality, which plays a significant role in your admission.

Having your essay ready when back to school rolls around means you can be the first to ask your new or old teachers to review your work. Doing this can help you avoid the chaos that comes around when deadlines get closer.

As the year approaches its end and deadlines are evident, students tend to bombard teachers with college essays, recommendation letters, and unanswered questions.

Therefore, leaving it for the last minute is not a good look and can keep you from getting the attention your essay truly deserves. Being one of the first students to ask can also make you golden to your teacher!

It is also the perfect time period to have your definitive college picks. Once you know what universities you plan on attending, it is a great idea to shoot them an email, Maybe even start talking to some of their counselors or administrators.

October-November

Consider this time of year the most stressful. Teachers are being asked for recommendation letters, counselors need to ensure all students are on the path to graduation, and everyone is tense.

It’s time to finally submit your college applications; part of it is your essay. You will have to decide whether you will apply for early or rolling admission, but regardless of what you choose, your essay will be done thanks to the college essay timeline.

You can lay back and enjoy your Halloween candy and Thanksgiving turkey without having to cram your essay all in one night.

December-January

Now, ’tis the season of waiting. As December and January roll around the corner, students should already be getting their admission letters and emails.

It’s the perfect time to celebrate a job well done and choose which college is your final decision. This is the last and best step of the college essay timeline.

Final Thoughts

The time you invest into your college essay is genuinely minimum if spread out correctly and utilized the college essay timeline. By getting started early on, you won’t limit yourself to getting it done in a short time.

Plus, you won’t have to stress over it. And you’ll be able to go over your final draft as many times as you need. Furthermore, counselors, mentors, and teachers will have ample time to review it with you before chaos kicks in.

Procrastination is a big issue with seniors as their time in high school comes to an end. However, by setting small, consistent goals over a long period of six months, it will feel manageable. I hope the college essay timeline works for you!

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The college application process can be daunting, especially for students and families going through it for the first time.

Choose your topic of interest below – including college essays, extracurricular activities, standardized tests, admissions deadlines, waitlists and transferring – and you'll see a list of articles with advice on how to effectively navigate that part of the application process.

How Do I Apply to College?

To apply to college, keep in mind that you need to start early in high school and do your research to find the right fit. The following articles offer advice on how to get in to college.

• What should I know about the college application process?
• What are the biggest college application mistakes to avoid?
• How can I complete my college applications on time?
• What are ways to make my college applications stand out?
• How do I get into college with a low GPA?
• Which colleges have the highest application fees?
• What questions should I ask my high school counselor when applying to college?
• What does the Supreme Court's ban on race-conscious admissions mean for me?
• What should I know about the Common App?
• How can I apply through the Common Black College Application?

What Are the Different Types of Colleges and Where Should I Apply?

From smaller liberal arts colleges to bigger public universities, you have a lot of school types to consider. Here's what to keep in mind about applying to different schools.

• What's the difference between a college and a university?
• What is a liberal arts college?
• What are the cost differences between a private and public college?
• What are reasons to consider a community college?
• How do larger public colleges compare to smaller private schools?
• How many colleges should I apply to?
• How do I narrow down my list of colleges?
• What are tips for picking the right school?
• How do I get into an Ivy League school?
• Should I go to an urban, suburban or rural college?

How Do I Write a College Essay?

Use the college essay to give admissions officers insight into who you are. The tips in these articles will help you tackle the application essay with confidence.

• What are tips for writing the college application essay?
• What are grammar and style mistakes to avoid in a college essay?
• How do I finish my college essays on time?
• What are some examples of good college essays?

What Kind of Extracurricular Activities Can Help Me Get Into College?

Whether you're involved in a club or have a job, colleges want to know how you spend time outside of the classroom. Read on to learn about the role of extracurricular activities in college applications.

• How do colleges weigh extracurricular activities in an application?
• What are ways to discuss work experience on a college application?
• How do I turn extracurriculars into scholarships?

How Important Are Standardized Test Scores?

Schools have varying policies when it comes to admissions tests like the SAT and ACT. Here's what you need to know about college entrance exams.

• Are schools changing their testing requirements?
• What is a good score on the SAT?
• What is a good score on the ACT?
• How has the SAT changed?
• How can I perform well on ACT or SAT test day?

What Do I Need to Know About Recommendation Letters?

Applications typically require recommendation letters written by people who know you well. Read the following articles to find out who, when and how to ask for letters.

• How do I ask for a letter of recommendation for college?
• What are some examples of college recommendation letters?
• What myths about college recommendation letters should I be aware of?

When Are College Application Deadlines?

Some colleges offer early decision or early action admissions, in which you apply early and receive a response before other applicants. In general, though, most colleges have a January deadline for regular applications. These articles compare the different application deadlines: early action, early decision, regular decision and rolling admissions.

• When should I apply to college?
• What are the differences between early action and early decision?
• What should I know about restrictive early action?
• What happens if I back out of an early decision offer?
• Which colleges have later application deadlines?
• What is rolling admissions?
• What colleges offer rolling admissions?

What Are Tips for Applying as an International Student?

Applying to U.S. universities as an international student can be challenging. The articles below can help you understand the admissions process if you're applying from abroad.

• Which U.S. colleges have the most international students?
• Which colleges offer the most financial aid to international students?
• Which colleges accept the most international students?
• What should I know about scholarships as an international student?
• How do I prepare to apply to college as an international student?
• What mistakes should I avoid when applying to a U.S. university?
• What's the difference between TOEFL and IELTS?
• What should I know about playing sports as an international student?

What If I Apply and Am Put on a Waitlist?

A college may put you on a waitlist and not offer you a spot until after the typical May 1 decision deadline. Here's what you need to know if you're wait-listed.

• What do I do if I've been put on a waitlist?
• What colleges admit the lowest percentage of students off the waitlist?
• What should I do while I wait for admissions decisions?

What Do I Need to Know When Transferring Schools?

Transferring may make sense if your college isn't a good fit or you want to finish a degree at a four-year school after community college. Read tips below on transferring schools.

• How can I prepare for a successful college transfer?
• How do I transfer from a community college?
• What's the process of transferring as an international student?
• How does transferring colleges impact student loans?
• Which schools have the most transfer students?

Best Colleges Rankings

For students who need help narrowing down the list of colleges and universities to apply to, the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings can serve as a good starting point.

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How to nail your scholarship application essay.

When it comes to applying for scholarships, the task can be immediately overwhelming. Where do you find scholarships? How do you apply? What do they each require? This is going to take forever!

But at Colorado State, we do things a little differently. We’re so proud of our one-and-done scholarship application process. Almost all CSU scholarships live in the same place, and can be applied for with one application, one time, and that’s it. The Colorado State University Scholarship Application (CSUSA) takes a big hurdle out of your path right off the bat. Completing the CSUSA enters you for nearly every scholarship at CSU that you’re eligible for. Now all you have to do is nail that application essay … and we’re here to make that part easy, too. Here are some insider info, tips, and even a few essay excerpts to help you as you tackle your essay.

#1. It’s less formal than you think

Did you know that your scholarship application essay is meant to help us see the most-authentic version of you, your journey, and your goals? We’re not looking for a formal essay here. You won’t need to analyze anything, look for metaphors, or even write a structured outline when you start (but you can if it helps you).

The essay prompt might ask you to tell your story, highlight your ambitions, and explain how you see yourself succeeding in this big ol’ world. Essay prompts range from what kind of career you see yourself in, and how college might help you get there. They might ask you to describe a challenging event, explain how you navigated it, and how it inspires you to go forward in life. The essay is so much more your story than anything else. The more YOU you are, the better. Don’t worry too much about intros, transitions, structure, or formal conclusion paragraphs when you first sit down to write. Let it flow and be you.

• Tip : Write your first draft like you’re talking to your best friend, your favorite teacher, your mentor, your coach. Your voice/tone should be genuine, passionate, and infused with the vibe you’d give if you were telling your biggest dreams to your biggest cheerleaders. We’re rooting for you here.

#2. Vulnerability is your superpower here

Perhaps the biggest tool in your toolbox when it comes to writing a genuine, powerful essay is your willingness to be vulnerable. While vulnerability may seem like a weakness in some arenas, it’s your superpower in the scholarship application essay. So what exactly is it, and how can you use it to your advantage?

Vulnerability, by definition, is the willingness to show emotion or to allow one’s weaknesses to be seen or known. There can be some risk involved in being vulnerable, and that’s often why it has such a big impact. You’re essentially giving away your armor, and that allows you to create connection at a deep, emotional level. To put vulnerability to work in a story or experience, try to remember how you felt in that moment, and what was running through your head. Instead of just recounting events as they happened, retell them as YOU experienced them. Let emotion guide your story instead of rehashing a timeline of events. The story, told as it moved through you, is what makes the connection.

• Tip : As you recount an event or moment in your essay, try to incorporate the senses. What did you see, hear, smell, feel? Let emotion be your guide, but paint the picture fully.

#3. Word choice matters (and not in the way you might think)

One question you should ask yourself as you draft your essay is if the words you’re using actually suit you. Would you use these actual words if you were talking to someone? One thing that can derail your authenticity in writing is trying to use big or “impressive” words that wouldn’t naturally flow from you in your daily life. We’re not saying you shouldn’t use a thesaurus, but be choosy. If the word doesn’t “fit” you when you’re casually speaking, we’re going to feel that in your essay, too.

• Tip : Read your essay aloud while recording yourself. Does it flow? Are there words that you stumble over as you read them? If so, put those words into the thesaurus and see if anything comes up that doesn’t trip you up as you read. It should feel as natural to read it as it would if you were talking to a friend.

#4. Always, always, always get a proofreader (or two)

While it’s not the most-glamorous advice, we cannot stress enough the importance of having someone — and, preferably, multiple someones — review your essay. Even the most-seasoned professional writer will make errors, even after multiple drafts. Typos, missing words, tense errors, and even disorganized thoughts can distract readers from your beautiful, unique story. Our advice is to find a proofreader who can dial in your punctuation and grammar, and another who can help you with the more-subtle aspects of good writing, like flow, tone, and structure. You want to start and end strong, plus have a robust, visually and emotionally stimulating middle.

• Tip : Draft your first version raw without any expectations of yourself. Answer the essay prompt as if you’re writing in your journal. Then find a reliable proofreader (preferably outside the house, like a teacher) to help you level it up and polish it up. After you’ve done a little spiff, show it to a second proofreader. Fresh eyes mean everything.

Some essay excerpts to inspire you

Ready to learn more about the csu scholarship process.

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Prairie Smallwood

Prairie Smallwood is a writer and content creator for the Office of Admissions at Colorado State University. She is passionate about education and exploration, and knows that going to college can be both an adventure and an overwhelming experience. She aims to create content that helps students through that journey — the wonderful, the scary, and everything in between.

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What Do Students at Elite Colleges Really Want?

Many of Harvard’s Generation Z say “sellout” is not an insult.

Credit... Jeff Hinchee

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By Francesca Mari

• Published May 22, 2024 Updated May 24, 2024

The meme was an image of a head with “I need to get rich” slapped across it. “Freshmen after spending 0.02 seconds on campus,” read the caption, posted in 2023 to the anonymous messaging app Sidechat.

The campus in question was Harvard, where, at a wood-paneled dining hall last year, two juniors explained how to assess a fellow undergraduate’s earning potential. It’s easy, they said, as we ate mussels, beets and sautéed chard: You can tell by who’s getting a bulge bracket internship.

“What?” Benny Goldman, a then-28-year-old economics P.h.D. student and their residential tutor, was confused.

One of the students paused, surprised that he was unfamiliar with the term: A bulge bracket bank, like Goldman Sachs , JPMorgan Chase or Citi. The biggest, most prestigious global investment banks. A B.B., her friend explained. Not to be confused with M.B.B. , which stands for three of the most prestigious management consulting firms: McKinsey, Bain and Boston Consulting Group.

While the main image of elite campuses during this commencement season might be activists in kaffiyehs pitching tents on electric green lawns, most students on campus are focused not on protesting the war in Gaza, but on what will come after graduation.

Despite the popular image of this generation — that of Greta Thunberg and the Parkland activists — as one driven by idealism, GenZ students at these schools appear to be strikingly corporate-minded. Even when they arrive at college wanting something very different, an increasing number of students at elite universities seek the imprimatur of employment by a powerful firm and “making a bag” (slang for a sack of money) as quickly as possible.

Elite universities have always been major feeders into finance and consulting, and students have always wanted to make money. According to the annual American Freshman Survey , the biggest increase in students wanting to become “very well off financially” happened between the 1970s and 1980s, and it’s been creeping up since then.

But in the last five years, faculty and administrators say, the pull of these industries has become supercharged. In an age of astronomical housing costs, high tuition and inequality, students and their parents increasingly see college as a means to a lucrative job, more than a place to explore.

A ‘Herd Mentality’

At Harvard, a graduating senior, who passed on a full scholarship to another school, told me that he felt immense pressure to show his parents that their $400,000 investment in his Harvard education would allow him to get the sort of job where he could make a million dollars a year. Upon graduation, he will join the private equity firm Blackstone, where, he believes, he will learn and achieve more in six years than 30 years in a public-service-oriented organization.

Another student, from Uruguay, who spent his second summer in a row practicing case studies in preparation for management consulting internship interviews, told me that everyone arrived on campus hoping to change the world. But what they learn at Harvard, he said, is that actually doing anything meaningful is too hard. People give up on their dreams, he told me, and decide they might as well make money. Someone else told me it was common at parties to hear their peers say they just want to sell out.

“There’s definitely a herd mentality,” Joshua Parker, a 21-year-old Harvard junior from Oahu, said. “If you’re not doing finance or tech, it can feel like you’re doing something wrong.”

As a freshman, he planned to major in environmental engineering. As a sophomore, he switched to economics, joining five of his six roommates. One of those roommates told me that he hoped to run a hedge fund by the time he was in his 30s. Before that, he wanted to earn a good salary, which he defined as $500,000 a year.

According to a Harvard Crimson survey of Harvard Seniors, the share of 2024 graduates going into finance and consulting is 34 percent. (In 2022 and 2023 it exceeded 40 percent. The official Harvard Institutional Research survey yields lower percentages for those fields than the Crimson survey, because it includes students who aren’t entering the work force.)

These statistics approach the previous highs in 2007, after which the global financial crisis drove the share down to a recent low of 20 percent in 2009, from which it’s been regaining ground since.

Fifteen years ago, fewer students went into tech. Adding in that sector, the share of graduates starting what some students non-disparagingly refer to as “sellout jobs” is more than half. (It was a record-shattering 60 percent in 2022 and nearly 54 percent in 2023.)

“When people say ‘selling out,’ I mean, obviously, there’s some implicit judgment there,” said Aden Barton, a 23-year-old Harvard senior who wrote an opinion column for the student newspaper headlined, “How Harvard Careerism Killed the Classroom.”

“But it really is just almost a descriptive term at this point for people pursuing certain career paths,” he continued. “I’m not trying to denigrate anybody’s career path nor my own.” (He interned at a hedge fund last summer.)

David Halek, director of employer relations at Yale’s Office of Career Strategy, thinks students may use the term “sell out” because of the perceived certainty: “It’s the easy path to follow. It is well defined,” he said.

“It’s hard to conceptualize other things,” said Andy Wang, a social studies concentrator at Harvard who recently graduated.

Some students talk about turning to a different career later on, after they’ve made enough money. “Nowadays, English concentrators often say they’re going into finance or management consulting for a couple of years before writing their novel,” said James Wood, a Harvard professor of the practice of literary criticism.

And a surprising number of students explain their desire for a corporate job by drawing on the ethos of effective altruism : Whether they are conscious of the movement or not, they believe they can have greater impact by maximizing earnings to donate to a cause than working for that cause.

But once students board the prestige escalator and become accustomed to a certain salary, walking away can feel funny. Like, well, walking off an escalator.

Financial Pressures

The change is striking to those who have been in academia for years, and not just at Harvard.

Roger Woolsey, executive director of the career center at Union College, a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, N.Y, said he first noticed a change around 2015, with students who had been in high school during the Great Recession and who therefore prioritized financial security.

“The students saw what their parents went through, and the parents saw what happened to themselves,” he said. “You couple that with college tuition continuing to rise,” he continued, and students started looking for monetary payoffs right after graduation.

Sara Lazenby, an institutional policy analyst for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that might be why students and their parents were much more focused on professional outcomes than they used to be. “In the past few years,” she said, “I’ve seen a higher level of interest in this first-destination data” — stats on what jobs graduates are getting out of college.

“Twenty years ago, an ‘introduction to investment banking’ event was held at the undergraduate library at Harvard,” said Howard Gardner, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. “Forty students showed up, all men, and when asked to define ‘investment banking,’ none raised their hands.”

Now, according to Goldman Sachs, the bank had six times as many applicants this year for summer internships as it did 10 years ago, and was 20 percent more selective for this summer’s class than it was last year. JPMorgan also saw a record number of undergraduate applications for internships and full-time positions this year.

The director of the Mignone Center for Career Success at Harvard, Manny Contomanolis, also chalked up the change, in part, to financial pressure. “Harvard is more diverse than ever before,” Mr. Contomanolis said, with nearly one in five students eligible for a low-income Pell Grant . Those students, he said, weigh whether to, for instance, “take a job back in my border town community in Texas and make a big impact in a kind of public service sense” or get a job with “a salary that would be life changing for my family.”

However, according to The Harvard Crimson’s senior survey, as Mr. Barton noted in his opinion column, “The aggregate rate of ‘selling out’ is about the same — around 60 percent — for all income brackets.” The main distinction is that students from low-income families are comparatively more likely to go into technology than finance.

In other words, there is something additional at play, which Mr. Barton argues has to do with the nature of prestige. “If you tell me you’re working at Goldman Sachs or McKinsey, that’s amazing , their eyes are going to light up,” Mr. Barton said. “If you tell somebody, ‘Oh, I took this random nonprofit job,’ or even a journalism job, even if you’re going to a huge name, it’s going to be a little bit of a question mark.”

Maibritt Henkel, a 21-year-old junior at Harvard, is an economics major with moral reservations about banking and consulting. Ms. Henkel sometimes worries that others might misread her decision not to go into those industries as evidence that she couldn’t hack it.

“Even if you don’t want to do it for the rest of your life, it’s seen kind of as the golden standard of a smart, hardworking person,” she said.

Some students have also become skeptical about traditional avenues of social change, like government and nonprofits, which have attracted fewer Harvard students since the pandemic, according to the Harvard Office of Institutional Research.

Matine Khalighi, 22, founded a nonprofit to award scholarships to homeless youth when he was in eighth grade. When he began studying economics at Harvard, his nonprofit, EEqual, was granting 50 scholarships a year. But some of the corporations that funded EEqual were contributing to inequality that created homelessness, he said. Philanthropy wasn’t the solution for systemic change, he decided. Instead, he turned to finance, with the idea that the sector could marshal capital quickly for social impact.

Employers encourage this way of thinking. “We often talk about the fact that we work with some of the biggest emitters on the planet because we believe that’s how we actually affect climate change,” said Blair Ciesil, the global leader of talent attraction at McKinsey.

The Recruitment Ratchet

Princeton’s senior survey results are nearly identical to The Crimson’s Senior Survey: about 38 percent of 2023 graduates who were employed took jobs in finance and consulting; adding tech and engineering, the rate is close to 60 percent, compared with 53 percent in 2016, the earliest year for which the data is available.

This isn’t solely an Ivy League phenomenon. Schools slice their data differently, but at many colleges, a large percentage of students pursue these fields. At Amherst , in 2022, 32 percent of employed undergrads went into finance and consulting, and 11 percent went into internet and software, for a total of about 43 percent. Between 2017 and 2019, the University of California, Los Angeles, sent about 21 percent of employed students into engineering and computer science, 9 percent into consulting and nearly 10 percent into finance, for a total of roughly 40 percent

Part of that has to do with recruitment; the most prestigious banks and consulting firms do so only at certain colleges, and they have intensified their presence on those campuses in recent years. Over the last five years or so, “the idea of thinking about your professional path has moved much earlier in the undergraduate experience,” Ms. Ciesil said. She said the banks first began talking to students earlier, and it was the entrance of Big Tech onto the scene, asking for junior summer applications by the end of sophomore year, that accelerated recruitment timelines.

“At first, we tried to fight back by saying, ‘No, no, no, no, no, sophomores aren’t ready, and what does a sophomore know about financial modeling?’” said Mr. Woolsey at Union College. But, he added, schools “don’t want to push back too much, because then you’re going to lose revenue,” since firms often pay to recruit on campus.

The Effective Altruist Influence

The marker that really distinguishes Gen Z is how pessimistic its members are, and how much they feel like life is beyond their control, according to Jean Twenge, a psychologist who analyzed data from national surveys of high school students and first-year college students in her book “Generations.”

Money, of course, helps give people a sense of control. And because of income inequality, “there’s this idea that you either make it or you don’t, so you better make it,” Ms. Twenge said.

Mihir Desai, a professor at Harvard’s business and law schools, wrote a 2017 essay in The Crimson titled “ The Trouble With Optionality ,” arguing that students who habitually pursue the security of prestigious employment foreclose the risk-taking and longer-range thinking necessary for more unusual or idealistic achievements. Mr. Desai believes that’s often because they are responding to the bigger picture, like threats to workers from artificial intelligence, and political and financial upheaval.

In recent years, he’s observed two trends among students pursuing wealth. There’s “the option-buyer,” the student who takes a job in finance or consulting to buy more time or to keep options open. Then there’s what he calls “the lottery ticket buyer,” the students who go all-in on a risky venture, like a start-up or new technology, hoping to make a windfall.

“They know people who bought Bitcoin at $2,000. They know people who bought Tesla at $20,” he said.

Some faculty see the influence of effective altruism among this generation: In the last five years, Roosevelt Montás, a senior lecturer at Columbia University and the former director of its Center for the Core Curriculum, has noticed a new trend when he asks students in his American Political Thought classes to consider their future.

“Almost every discussion, someone will come in and say, ‘Well, I can go and make a lot of money and do more good with that money than I could by doing some kind of charitable or service profession,’” Mr. Montás said. “It’s there constantly — a way of justifying a career that is organized around making money.”

Mr. Desai said all of this logic goes, “‘Make the bag so you can do good in the world, make the bag so you can go into retirement, make the bag so you can then go do what you really want to do.’”

But this “really underestimates how important work is to people’s lives,” he said. “What it gets wrong is, you spend 15 years at the hedge fund, you’re going to be a different person. You don’t just go work and make a lot of money, you go work and you become a different person.”

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