College appli­ca­tions can be one of the most stress­ful processes of high school and are always a tense time. They can feel very monu­men­tal as these few appli­ca­tions can feel like they’ll make or break your future. Whether you do early action, early deci­sion, sports schol­ar­ship or regu­lar appli­ca­tion it can help having some­one guide you through the jour­ney. That’s why it’s nice to know the nooks and cran­nies of the process and find out a few tips on how to make it easier for your­self when the time comes.

One of the most commonly used tools for college appli­ca­tions is adequately named Common App. Govern­ment Teacher Ms. Weston explains ¨We had this app called Common App where you could fill in your appli­ca­tion for one school and reuse across other appli­ca­tions.¨ Senior and UVA early deci­sion commit Colleen Early states ¨the first thing in the college appli­ca­tion process is writ­ing the common app essay.¨ This app is a tool essen­tial to anybody aspir­ing to go to college but it does have its draw­backs as some schools such as Penn State or Univer­sity of Pitts­burgh do not accept Common App applications.

The time of college appli­ca­tions, as stated before, can be very stress­ful, though there are ways to manage this stress and work through it. Senior Emma Schrage who commit­ted to Virginia Tech’s school of Engi­neer­ing claims ¨I  had help from my parents and camp coun­selor who checked my essay¨ and gave this piece of advice to manage stress, ¨Just get it done don’t stress too much about it there’s other schools you can always apply too.¨ Even though it may seem like a tall moun­tain to climb there are always resources surround­ing you at school that can help as Colleen Early stated ¨I had a lot of help from my coun­selor who helped me through the entire process.¨

The time­li­ness of your appli­ca­tion is also very impor­tant and has created many debates. Some go the regu­lar route, some choose early action and some are set on a school and choose early deci­sion. When you go down the early deci­sion route a very big concern is that if you get your accep­tance from that school you have to commit to it. Most people would not recom­mend the early deci­sion unless you are 100% sure you want to commit to that school and would suggest going down the early action path. Colleen Early says she ¨would recom­mend early action because you hear back sooner and you have more time to make your decisions.¨

Over­all there are many ways that you can take your educa­tion to the next level and start a new path. While there may not be a defi­nite better or worse it’s always good to check with peers around you or people who have been through it to know what fits best for you. Coun­selors and teach­ers are always there to help you as well through the jour­ney and can be an invalu­able source to your appli­ca­tions. The best way to start your college appli­ca­tions will always just be to start, while it may look like a moun­tain once you start it you can very well turn it into a molehill.