How to Make Applying Less Stressful

August 2023

Summary: High stakes and tight deadlines make college applications a nervy process. But starting early and seeking expert guidance can make it smooth sailing.

For most people, college applications are rough.

This is equally true whether you’re an exceptional student, an above-average student, or just an average student. Something about the size of the stakes, the unfamiliarity with the process, the tight deadlines, and the thought of spending tens, or even hundreds, of thousands of dollars on college tuition makes people crazy. It’s only natural. But there are several things to you can do to reduce the pain and suffering. Read on for three time-tested tips.

#1. Start the process early

In a perfect world, you start your college planning when you’re still a freshman in high school. You choose the most challenging courses, you start prepping for your SATs 6 months in advance, you become close with a few teachers who will write you glowing references, and you focus your time outside of class on one or two signature passion projects that will demonstrate remarkable commitment and achievement. But 99% of students won’t do that, so let’s move on to what’s realistic.

At minimum, you should start tackling your college applications the summer before senior year. Ideally that means June, not August. Since early applications are due in November, and regular applications are due in January, you need to get as much done before fall semester starts, since trying to juggle college applications on top of senior classes is very hard. Make your life easy and start early. Spend the summer before senior year honing a list of potential colleges, researching the pros and cons of each one, and putting together early drafts of your application essays. Put yourself on a schedule to spend maybe an hour on the process every day. By August, you’ll be in great shape, and 90% of your work will be done.

#2. Enlist a mentor

You don’t have to pay for a college consultant like us, although there are certainly advantages to going that route. If you don’t have the financial means (or will), you can simply go online and research articles like this one about various aspects of the application process. Many college consultants provide free articles where we share our best secrets of the trade. We do it first because we believe that everyone should benefit from expert guidance, regardless of their ability to pay for private consultations. And second, because it invariably leads to paying clients; the better the information, the more people are willing to pay for our services. So everyone wins when there’s good information out there.

Another excellent resource is your high school college counselor. Get to know them. Set aside time with them way in advance of application deadlines to discuss strategy and get answers to your questions. You can also pick up the phone and talk to students who graduated from your high school and now attend one of the universities you’re interested in. Don’t be shy; lots of people are more than happy to talk about their experience and offer free guidance.

Finally, if there’s an academic subject that interests you, go to the college’s website and look up the professors in that department. Read everything you can from a specific professor (articles, research studies, books) and then reach out to them by email with some intelligent questions. Many professors are extremely receptive to this kind of outreach, assuming you’ve done your homework and have good questions to ask.

#3. Focus on two or three of your favorite schools

While your final college list will likely exceed ten or more colleges, spend about 80% of your time in the early phase on just 3 schools: one reach school (a dream school where you have a low chance of acceptance), one target school (a great school where you have about a 50% chance of acceptance), and one safety school (a good back-up school where you have about an 80% chance of acceptance). Research these three schools in depth, reach out to professors in your target major, visit the campus if you can (if not, take a virtual tour on their website), try to connect with current students or alumni you might know, and learn the ins and outs of campus culture.

For example, if you’re able to start your applications over the summer, then just focus on finishing these three applications by September. It’s much more manageable — and much less daunting — when you can focus your efforts on just three schools, rather than say, twelve. And all the extra focus and effort you put into those three applications will make them shine. After you’re finished with those three applications, you can turn your attention to the other ten or so schools you want to apply to. And now that you know what you’re doing, it’ll be much easier to navigate the process.

Final thoughts

Of all the best advice we have for mitigating the stress of college applications, starting early is by far the best. Removing the time pressure and giving yourself the luxury of time can actually make the process enjoyable, rather than maddening. After all, you’re exploring how you want to spend the next four years of your life, which should be fun and exciting, not soul-crushing. It’s something you only get to do once. And for many people, it turns out to be the best four year of their life. So do it right, and enjoy the process.