Applying to college is a monumental milestone in a student's life. Among the various components of the application process, the college application essay stands out as a unique opportunity for students to showcase their individuality, passions, and experiences. As pre-college consultants, one of the most common questions we receive from students and parents alike is, "When should I start writing my college application essays?" The answer might surprise you: It's sooner than you think!
Why Start Early?
Time to Reflect and Brainstorm: Starting early allows ample time for reflection. Writing a compelling essay requires deep introspection and thoughtful consideration of your experiences. By beginning the process early, you give yourself the luxury of time to explore different ideas and themes that best represent who you are.
Multiple Drafts for Perfection: A great essay is seldom written in one sitting. The best essays go through multiple drafts, with each version refining the narrative, improving the flow, and correcting any grammatical errors. Starting early provides the opportunity to iterate on your work, ensuring that the final product is polished and compelling.
Avoid destabilizing academic progress during senior year: The college application process is inherently stressful, with various deadlines and requirements to meet. Starting your essays early can significantly reduce this stress by spreading the workload over several months. For most students, it's simply not possible to write multiple excellent application essay for every college on top of school work during their senior year. To be successful and avoid the risk of academic distraction, it's critical to start writing college application essays at least during the summer before senior year.
Seeking Feedback A well-crafted essay benefits greatly from external feedback. Whether it's from a teacher, a mentor, or a pre-college consultant, getting input from others can provide valuable perspectives and suggestions. Starting early ensures you have enough time to incorporate this feedback and make necessary revisions.
The Reality of Essay Writing for Top Colleges
In our experience, almost every student and parent underestimates the sheer volume of writing required for college applications, especially when applying to multiple top-tier schools. To give you a sense of the workload, here’s a breakdown of recent essay requirements for ten popular colleges:
Brown University
Common App essay: 1
Supplemental essays: 3
Cornell University
Common App essay: 1
Supplemental essays: 1-2 (varies by college)
Duke University
Common App essay: 1
Supplemental essays: 2
Harvard University
Common App essay: 1
Supplemental essays: 1-2 (one optional)
Stanford University
Common App essay: 1
Supplemental essays: 8 (3 essays + 5 short-answer questions)
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
UC Personal Insight Questions: 4 (replaces Common App essay)
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
UC Personal Insight Questions: 4 (same as UCB)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
Common App essay: 1
Supplemental essays: 2-3
Vanderbilt University
Common App essay: 1
Supplemental essays: 1
Yale University
Common App essay: 1
Supplemental essays: 5 (1 main essay + 4 short-answer questions)
Summary:
Common App essay: 7 schools
UC Personal Insight Questions: 2 schools (shared across all UC schools)
Supplemental Essays:
Brown: 3
Cornell: 2
Duke: 2
Harvard: 2
Stanford: 8
UNC: 3
Vanderbilt: 1
Yale: 5
Total Number of Essays:
Common App Essay: 1 (used for multiple schools)
UC Personal Insight Questions: 4 (used for UCB and UCLA)
Specific Essay Counts:
Brown: 3
Cornell: 2
Duke: 2
Harvard: 2
Stanford: 8
UNC: 3
Vanderbilt: 1
Yale: 5
Grand Total:
1 Common App essay
4 UC Personal Insight Questions
26 supplemental essays
This totals up to 31 essays for just ten selected schools(!) This staggering number highlights the importance of starting the writing process early. Each essay may require numerous drafts to perfect, as it’s critical to refine every word when applying to top schools. If your essays don’t capture your story in an authentic way and say what you want to communicate about yourself, it’s almost not worth applying at all.
The Importance of Starting Early
The earlier you start, the more time you have to ensure that each essay is of the highest quality. Many high school students are not adequately prepared for the style of writing required for college application essays. High school essays often focus on analytical writing, while college application essays require a personal, reflective, and narrative style. This shift can be challenging, and developing these skills takes time and practice.
Because of substantial amount of time required to outline, draft, and edit a large number of college application essays, and because most families vastly underestimate the work required, we recommend that our students start their essays no later than June of the summer before their senior year in high school. Some students start later, and with guidance and support, we can help students improve their chances of college admission even if they are starting late. It's almost never "too late" to do well on a college application as long as the student is committed to doing well. But starting in June will give you the best chance of success both in your college applications and academicly during your senioor year in high school.
Conclusion
Starting your college application essays early is a crucial step in the application process. It provides the time needed for reflection, multiple drafts, feedback, and ultimately, a polished final product. By beginning the process during the summer before your senior year, you set yourself up for success and reduce the stress associated with last-minute writing.
Remember, the college application essay is your chance to tell your unique story. Make the most of it by starting early and giving yourself the time to create an essay that truly represents who you are.
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