November 1st is around the corner. If you haven’t already submitted your early decision and early action applications, don’t panic. It’s okay to not submit weeks early. If you’re still working on your applications, and want some final points to run through, we have prepared a series of last minute tips to make sure you have everything you need to succeed before the November 1st deadline.
First, go to the Common App and make sure you’ve answered all the supplemental essays and questions. Often, individual schools ask questions that may not meet the eye when you Google their supplemental essays. Some schools don’t have a “why major” prompt appear until you’ve chosen whether you’re applying to a specific college within the university. Insert all of your information into the Common App, answer all school-specific questions and make sure you have answered all of their big and small questions.
Supplemental essays—especially the short ones—may seem simple at first glance but they can be tricky. Check that you’re answering exactly what the question is asking for. It can be tempting to copy/paste a “why major” essay from one school onto another but you must read the prompts very carefully. You might have answered a question about how your academic interest developed for one college, but this won’t answer a prompt that is asking a combined why this college and why major answer. Ensure that your response is catered to the specific university’s offerings.
Consider an early action school if you’re mostly done with writing your personal statement and early decision supplements. Early action schools—although nonbinding—allow you the chance to get applications out of the way and put less pressure on you during the RD round. Many schools such as the University of Southern California, University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, and the University of VIrginia offer early action. A lot of large public universities have the early action option and hearing back from them in January can help increase your chances of admission to a college you’re excited about.
There are colleges that have early action routes that don’t require any supplemental essays. Research and check whether schools such as Northeastern, Case Western, or the University of Iowa catch your eye. These don’t require supplemental essays if you’re in need of early action possibilities that require fewer application components.
Before you hit submit, it’s time to revisit your personal statement. Often, coming back to a piece of writing can help us see it in a new light and want to make changes. So, if you’ve taken some time apart from your personal statement it’s time to read it again. It might turn out that you discover a new angle or you want to slightly tweak a couple of sentences. Either way, right before submitting your ED/EA applications is the time to do so.
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