During the summer, many seniors start getting informational college packets. Some students might be anxiously ripping them apart to look at the pictures of what the college is meant to look like, while others may be shoving them in the corner with discouragement in order to avoid the thought of college. Either way, the process can be stressful. However, when planned out correctly, the process is doable.

Although every student is different, it is so critical to have at least looked into the colleges you want to attend before senior year, and have visited campuses by the end of October of senior year.  Also, having an admissions essay completed by October at the least should decline the list of things you should accomplish. 

“I think around October- November is a good time to apply for college,” said senior Illiana Stavens.

For some students,  getting one’s GPA up is a concern, along with  not being satisfied with their SAT scores. Most students would want to put in their application with all positive test scores. In order to get SAT scores that are acceptable, simply really sign up for the most recent SAT dates early so you won’t be so overwhelming applying for college and testing all in one month. 

Sophomore Juliana Bonilla knew what to do at a time like this. She said, “Students should continuously take SAT’s at an earlier time.”

Sophomore Ashley Burdsall agreed, stating, “I wouldn’t take the SATs too many times but a decent amount of times to get a good score.”

“The best time to apply for college is early senior year and retake SAT’s, also, ask teachers for extra help to raise GPA,” said senior Jake Hotsky.

Another tip for a successful alteration is do not go through all of the applying and question answering alone. Your parents might know more about the application process than you do.

Stavens added that getting “as much extra help as possible and talk to your guidance counselor for help about what you can do.”

Overall the actual process of writing college essays, answering several questions and even trying to get your GPA up is the most crucial part. Instead of immediately stressing, think to yourself if there a solution to these problems. The trick is to limit everything so you aren’t so crammed with different responsibilities. Applying for college can be a smooth transition if you put the effort into completing everything that needs to be completed.