Whether you’re finishing AP exams this week, preparing for finals, or getting ready for the SAT or ACT, I know this is a high-pressure time. Keep doing your best to finish strong—your performance now helps set the stage for a successful college application process.

As your academic year wraps up, request your letters of recommendation, work on your brag sheet or résumé , and continue adding basic information to your Common Application. Then make sure you have a schedule to complete your standardized testing before school resumes in the fall, and a plan to work on the more detailed parts of your applications, including the personal essay and school-specific writing requirements. You’ll want to do as much application work as possible this summer, and if you expect to be busy with work, travel, or internships, you’ll want to plan carefully to make the most of your open time. To support you as you approach the application cycle, I’m be offering workshops in May and June to give an overview of the admissions process, and to get you started with my best guidance for applications and essays.  I’m currently enrolling students for comprehensive and hourly advising as well, and I hope you’ll get in touch to talk about how I can be helpful at this exciting time!