09 Jul Road Map for July: Class of 2022

I hope your summer is off to a great start and that you’re getting the opportunity to do some of the fun things we’ve all missed out on over the last 16 months. In addition to fun I encourage students to take advantage of the summer months to knock out as much of their application work as possible. It’s great to have some things off your plate when school starts in the fall, especially since we will be resuming more of our normal activities.

One great project to work on right now is the Common Application. Although we’re technically still in the Class of 2021 application cycle, the Common App will be opening for the Class of 2022 shortly. On July 28 it will shut down and you won’t be able to work on applications until it reopens August 1, when the new version will be loaded, including the new essay prompts. Colleges will also be loading their sections and their own essays.

In the meantime you can work on the Profile, Family, Education, Testing, and Activities sections, and all of your  information will be there when the new cycle starts. I’m also encouraging my students to get to work on essays now to lighten their fall workload. For college-specific questions, many will not change but it’s a good idea to check with the schools about their supplemental essays. Many admissions offices post this information on their websites and you can always call or email a representative to ask. Don’t draft your essays in the Common App, however; instead save them somewhere else and paste them into the application after it reopens. (For advice on showcasing your accomplishments in the Common App and writing great essays, plus an individual advising session, I hope you’ll join me for my summer workshops. You can register here, or you can schedule your own date for three or more students.)

Finally, although I prefer students complete their SAT or ACT exams before the beginning of 12th grade, COVID delayed the planning for many Class of 2022 students. If you still want another bite at the standardized testing apple, registration is now open for fall SAT dates and ACT registration will be open soon.