seniors

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52 Weeks to College: Week 43

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52 Weeks to College: Week 43

As application deadlines draw closer, we’re here to guide you to the finish line. Check websites to confirm early application dates, and be sure to submit materials at least 24 hours in advance. Get everything submitted to the right people at the right time.

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52 Weeks to College: Week 42

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52 Weeks to College: Week 42

Deadlines for many early applications are just around the corner. Everything is accelerating and intensifying, and you may be feeling completely STRESSED out. Take a breath – if you’ve been following the 52 Weeks plan, then you’re more than ready to finalize early applications!

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52 Weeks to College: Week 40

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52 Weeks to College: Week 40

Beyond the standard essay questions found on your college applications, you’ll run across two other types of essay questions on the application that you probably aren’t sure how to approach.

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52 Weeks to College: Week 37

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52 Weeks to College: Week 37

Now that your senior year is underway, it's time to line up your recommenders – they are key allies and advocates in this process. Recommendations make a difference, and it is up to you to make sure that the recommendations you get will make a positive difference for you and influence the admissions officer in your favor.

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52 Weeks to College: Week 36

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52 Weeks to College: Week 36

A substantial percentage – upwards of 60% of selective colleges that use holistic admissions – have either a “Why College X” or “Why Major X” question on their applications. Some have both. Most of these types of questions require a short answer (50-250 words), while others require an essay (250-500 words). These questions offer you a great opportunity to persuade an admissions officer that this college and its programs are exactly the right match for you.

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52 Weeks to College: Week 31

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52 Weeks to College: Week 31

Now that you have your strategy, have done all your pre-work, and prepared your Writing Map, it’s time to choose topics for your writing. The best way to ensure that you produce compelling essays is to choose the right topics for those essays, and that’s what you’re going to do this week using our tips and tricks.

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52 Weeks to College: Week 30

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52 Weeks to College: Week 30

Now that the Common App is open for the coming application cycle, it’s time to work on your Writing Map! Yes, one more thing before you start writing.

“Work smarter, not harder,” is one of the strategies that we encourage students to use, but there is a risk that you might get so focused on minimizing your work that you sabotage yourself.

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52 Weeks to College: Week 27

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52 Weeks to College: Week 27

Don’t get started on the personal essay just yet! (There are good reasons for that, really.) This week is the perfect time to get started on the “easy” parts of the college application instead.

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52 Weeks to College: Week 26

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52 Weeks to College: Week 26

This week, you’re going to take your strategy one step further and tailor it to each of the colleges on your list based on what each particular college emphasizes as most important in their decision-making process. You’ll also discover more about financial aid policies at those colleges.

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52 Weeks to College: Week 25

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52 Weeks to College: Week 25

Most applicants assume that the best strategy for getting their college applications done is just to dive in and start writing essays. After all, the essays are the hardest, most time-consuming part, so if you get those knocked out, you'll be well ahead of the curve, right. Not exactly.

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52 Weeks to College: Week 24

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52 Weeks to College: Week 24

Applying to college is a complex and difficult project. You know that. Your parents know that. Your teachers and college counselors know that. Admissions officers know that. In other words, everyone involved in the process knows that. In fact, knowing that is exactly what might make you feel a bit overwhelmed.