01 Aug Road Map for August: Class of 2025

Class of ’25, get ready—the Common Application is open! Many of you have already been working on your basic information, activities and essays. If you haven’t, it’s a good idea to take advantage of the remaining time you have to do as much application work as possible before school starts. The Profile, Family, Education and Testing sections of the Common App are pretty straightforward and I often find that students can complete those pretty quickly, which also gives them an opportunity to get familiar with the platform. You should spend more time and attention on the Activities section, where you have more flexibility and choice about how you present your accomplishments and you can be more thoughtful about what you want to highlight.  Of course you’ll be putting a lot of thought into your personal essay as well.  You should expect to do multiple revisions after your initial draft is complete.

Colleges have begun to load their own questions into the Common App platform, including their school-specific essays. It’s worth it to spend some time compiling a list of all the essays you’ll have to write, which will allow you to be strategic about choosing topics that could apply to multiple questions. You should always tailor your responses for each school and the way they ask the question, but that doesn’t mean you have to write something completely new for every supplemental essay. You’ll find the questions in various parts of each school’s section under the “My Colleges” tab. In addition to looking for a Writing Supplement or a Writing section within the college’s questions, keep an eye out for essays embedded within the school’s other sections, such as the General or Academics questions. Also note that colleges sometimes have specific questions or additional requirements for students applying to certain majors, which may not populate until you’ve indicated what you plan to study.

In addition to the typical requirements, some colleges have additional components that they require or accept such as résumés or portfolios. Even if they’re optional, consider these opportunities to share something more about yourself and your interests and accomplishments.  Be thoughtful about what will already be in other parts of your application, such as the activities list and letters of recommendation, as you decide whether and how using these items or the Additional Information section could strengthen your profile.

For additional support with building your college list, developing a strong application, and writing compelling essays, I hope you’ll contact me about individual advising.