by Franca Rawitz, ReadySetCollegeNYC

With the school year coming to a close, many rising seniors are looking to use the summer as a jumpstart on college applications to reduce the stress of the fall semester. And rising juniors recognize that it’s time to seriously start thinking about their college journey.

So how should students make the most of the summer reprieve to maximize the application process and/or the college search? Here are some suggestions:

Rising Seniors:

• Update your college list – Review your school list and decide which colleges to eliminate and which to keep. If the college advisor at your high school recommended additional college options, research these schools online and consider visiting one, or two, over the summer.

• Prioritize Applications – With the updated school list in place, seniors can prioritize which applications should be completed in what order. Colleges that offer Early Action allow candidates to submit applications in November and receive a reply by mid-December. There is no obligation to attend (if accepted) as there is with Early Decision so submitting Early Action applications is always an advantage.

The Common Application becomes available online on August 1, but savvy students have their personal essay and their student resume completed and ready to upload on this date (www.commonapp.org)

• Get essays done! – The most time-consuming portion of applications is the dreaded “college essay,” typically the section students put off as long as possible. Yet, getting the essay out of the way over the summer is a huge relief, and a huge advantage.

Most students do not realize how many college essays they will be required to write. Depending upon the number of colleges to which the student applies, there can be three to six essays for EACH school. Hence beginning the essay writing process early is critical to relieving the stress that naturally goes along with completing applications.

• Continue test prep for fall SAT/ACT and/or SAT Subject Tests – Many students hope to improve upon their scores by spending more time on test prep over the summer and re-taking exams in the fall. However, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of continuous test prep. How much will the student benefit? Would the time be better spent on fine-tuning essays and applications, and/or visiting more colleges? Or perhaps, prepping for an SAT subject test over the summer makes sense if the student is strong in a particular subject area.

Rising Juniors:

• Begin Sat/ACT test prep – Whether or not the student has taken the PSAT and/or PLAN, it is advisable to take a diagnostic SAT and ACT over the summer to determine which exam makes the most sense. If it is possible, students should begin practicing for a fall test. This leaves ample time for re-testing in the winter and/or spring.

If the student has already decided to take the re-designed SAT in spring 2016, make sure to find a tutor who is familiar with the new format. Do not try to take both ‘old’ and ‘new’ exams.

The first, and most extensive test prep books – New SAT Math Problems – and New SAT Verbal Prep Book – are already available on this website. I strongly recommend that students get a head start with these invaluable resources.

• College Guidebooks – Students or parents can pick up any of the college guide books on bookstore shelves. Start a preliminary list based on location, size, and possible major (sciences vs. humanities). Ambitious students can use the guidebook to identify college of interest and then spend time on each school’s website.

• Website Research – You can spend hours on college websites as they are chock full of information. Students should peruse the ‘Student Life’ and ‘Clubs & Organizations’ pages as well as academics. So much of the college experience revolves around social life so students need to learn of these opportunities. A key piece of information that can discern if the college is a realistic option is the ‘student profile’ for the incoming class. If the student’s current GPA falls close to that of the incoming freshmen, it may be worthy of consideration. And certainly you will learn the SAT/ACT score range that this particular school is looking for.

• Start planning fall college visits – Starting campus tours in the fall gives students a huge head start and takes the pressure off of the spring when exams, school work, and extra-curriculars ramp up. Because admissions offices now place so much weight on “demonstrated interest,” these campus trips have become critical, hence the more schools families visit, the better.

Founder of ReadySetCollegeNYC, Franca Rawitz is an independent college counselor who empowers students to take control of their college journey and to achieve success in a sensible and strategic way. www.readysetcollege.nyc

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