Time Matters
Time Management is an essential, yet often overlooked, factor in successfully applying to colleges and obtaining scholarships. Deadlines sneak up and details get missed- details that could mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.
The Common App, the most widely used online college application, opens around the first of August when most high school seniors are still sleeping late, lounging by the pool, working part-time jobs, and staying up late playing video games or chatting with friends.
Most seniors are not thinking about college in August. But, early August is a GREAT time to start planning, creating a calendar, and beginning to work on the Common App (or whatever application the school of your choice requires).
TIP: Did you know neither the Common App nor The Coalition App has to be completed in one sitting? You can save your progress AND jump around to different sections.
The best way to manage your time as a high school senior is to have a visual, online calendar that you CONSTANTLY update.
WHY HAVE A MASTER CALENDAR?
- Time Management, specifically a working calendar or timeline, can alleviate stress and provide a visual reminder of deadlines.
- A calendar allows students to manage their time better and evaluate additional time commitments as they arise (i.e., joining the Chess Club or going on a church youth group retreat- Do you REALLY have time to do both?).
WHAT GOES ON THE MASTER CALENDAR?
- EVERYTHING! It is essential to SEE the big picture.
- Application deadlines
- SAT and ACT dates (including both the registration deadline and the actual test date)
- Scholarship deadlines
- Admitted Student Days (after you are accepted to a school, they invite prospective students to visit)
- Project and Homework Due Dates (i.e., Calculus test, English paper, science project, etc.)
- Significant commitments such as athletic matches/games, extra-curricular activities (i.e., Homecoming Dance, a service project, band competition, etc.)
- Self-imposed deadlines (i.e., having essays completed BEFORE the actual application deadline, reference letters submitted, resume or personal statement completed, etc.)
TIP: The Master Calendar is a live document that requires constant attention but not so much attention that you spend all of your time organizing your time!
WHO NEEDS ACCESS TO THE MASTER CALENDAR?
- Student
- Parent
- Education Consultant (this is the crucial person who is helping students to maintain the calendar)
Its vital students have someone to whom they are accountable and who can provide friendly reminders.
CONCLUSION
Time Management is a crucial factor in successfully applying to college. Meeting deadlines, submitting thoroughly completed, edited applications, and writing top-notch essays can quickly yield an acceptance letter. Last-minute submissions get you nowhere.
Don’t let rejection be your outcome. Unraveled Futures can help you be accepted to the college of your dreams! Contact Unraveled Futures Today so we can start working together tomorrow!
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