By John Finnell ‘22

Once again, we find ourselves in the first days of November, which means the first major deadline for college applications has passed: early action. As students panic to finish up essays and send in their letters of recommendation, it seems prudent to examine what has caused this rush.

Even the most prepared students seem to be scrambling with the many, many parts of college applications, Common App and others. Teachers and counselors, too, are overwhelmed with letters of recommendation and transcript requests.

College counselor Clare Foertsch said, “We’ve been saying this since the start of the year, so we wouldn’t be overwhelmed now.” Yet, it seems as though many seniors didn’t get the memo, and are now suffering the consequences.

Many students may have been lost in this rush, and missed the Nov. 1 deadline, but these students needn’t worry. Early action may have passed, but it’s not the end of the world; there is still more to do.

Ms. Foertsch recommended that students “Look forward to the next deadline.”  The next deadline for most students will be the final one, and it is imperative to get an early start.

Students should be continuing their efforts, even if they missed the deadline, so that they aren’t in a rush when the real deadline comes along.

Ms. Foertsch’s final piece of advice was this: “Start as soon as possible, especially juniors.” It seems that there is little room for procrastination when it comes to college applications.

So if you haven’t yet, and you can, why not get started, and get ahead of the game?

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash