Your summer plan to start college applications

Your summer plan for college applications

Some of you have just finished school. Others still have a few more exams. The end is in sight. Either way, juniors, you need a break. Take some time to relax. Decompress.

And now I contradict myself. It's also time to get a head start on the college application process. To do that, you need a good summer plan for working on college applications. This will lighten the workload of senior year.

One strategy is to "back time" how you are going to accomplish everything you need to do this summer. Of course you have other things going on besides college applications. Work, travel, friends. Sleep. Yes, sleep. It's all important.

But "back timing" will help. Here's how it works. Pick a deadline, and calculate how many weeks until that deadline. Then pick a goal. Next, divide the amount of work by the number of available weeks.

Here's an example of what this looks like. Pretend you need to read a 500-page book for English class by the end of four weeks. Divide 500 by 4, and you'll see that you need to read 125 pages per week. Doing this will avoid procrastination and an all-nighter the day before the deadline.

So figure out how many weeks you have until senior year starts. Then make a schedule that you can use to benchmark your progress. What goes onto the calendar? Here are some possibilities:

• Studying for the SAT or ACT.

• Creating a Common App profile.

• Doing the activities section of the Common App.

• Writing a resume or LinkedIn profile.

• Asking teachers or other mentors for letters of recommendation.

• Visiting colleges.

• Doing online information sessions.

• Writing a draft of your main Common App essay.

• Working on supplemental essays.

Strategically accomplishing some college application work this summer will give you a great sense of accomplishment. And showing that plan to your parents? Not such a bad idea either.