With the start of November, it is now officially college application season, which can mean many different things for the seniors who are preparing to go to college next year. For some, it means extra stress as they write their application essays, decide where to apply, and more, while those who’ve already finished their preparations breathe a sigh of relief as they meet the first application deadlines. No matter which camp you’re in, this can be a stressful time, as either way, you’re preparing for your life after high school, an intimidating idea for many people. Even if you’ve already submitted some applications, if you’re anything like me, you may be worried that your essay wasn’t good enough, that you may not get good financial aid offers from any colleges, etcetera, etcetera. To help you get through this stressful, uncertain time, I’m going to provide some tips for applying to college.

Start early. You’ve probably heard this a million times, but if you haven’t started preparing your essay or other things you may need to apply, now is the time. Seriously, it’ll save you so much stress down the line. You won’t be scrambling to meet deadlines, or worse, finding out that a deadline for a college you wanted to go to has already passed. Plus, you’ll have plenty of time to make sure your application is the best it can be and increase your chances of getting accepted. Speaking of, applying early will look good to colleges and you’ll likely hear back from them sooner. Prepare early, and your future self will thank you.

Write your essay about something you’ll enjoy writing about. While you don’t have to do this, it will make things easier for you. I totally thought about writing a sob story to show them the “hardships I’ve overcome” or something, but I decided to write about my hobbies instead. It wasn’t the most fun thing ever, but it was about as fun as writing a college essay can be. It made writing my essay less intimidating and stressful, so I’d definitely recommend writing your essay on something you enjoy or find interesting.

Apply to a good amount of colleges. Even if you have a dream college you’re set on, you may or may not get into it, so make sure you have a backup plan by applying to multiple schools, even if you’re not super crazy about them. It’s recommended that you apply to at least 5 colleges just to ensure that you get into one. If your list of colleges you’re going to apply to is less than this, it’s time to start looking for more colleges you’re interested in. By applying to multiple colleges, you’re increasing your chances of getting accepted to at least one and broadening your horizons.

I hope these tips help you as you prepare for your future. College application is definitely stressful, but try not to let the stress get to you too much. Once you’re done applying, you’ll feel so much better.

Get those applications in so you can enjoy the rest of your senior year.