That frantic typing sound you hear is the sound of hundreds of thousands of seniors scurrying to finish their admissions essay. I often get asked the merits of applying early because of the supposed higher admit rates. My quick take? I applied regular decision because I knew my essay wasn’t ready. My long take? See the answers below, inspired by this helpful U.S News article on the topic, which featured my advice.

Should you apply early if your essay isn’t ready?

“College-bound students should be careful not to apply early just because it seems like everyone else is, cautions Yelena Shuster, a New York-based independent admissions counselor. She won't work with high school sophomores ("They have a lot more growing to do," she says), and she recommends not diving into the admissions essay until late junior year or the summer before senior year. 

That way, "students will have had more experiences that might make good topics," she says, not to mention improved writing skills. 

Shuster points to a client who wrote an essay about his passion for magic. Only by the fourth revision did he realize that the hobby helped him communicate and made him less shy, she says. He was accepted early to Columbia University's class of 2022.”

See below for more of my tips, based on questions I get asked all the time!

We keep reading that your best chances are to apply much earlier than the standard application windows. Do you find that to be true?

There is a perceived slight advantage to applying for "early action" or "early decision" but those are set dates that each college advertises and Harvard in particular disputes that advantage. Sending your application well before the early action date of November 1 has no advantage and may even be a disadvantage if your submission is lacking. Remember that most admissions officers are traveling well into fall and doing their high school visits, so they won't even be able to read anything before the stated November 1 deadline. As long as you leave enough time to avoid any glitches, applying the week before is more than enough time.

What about starting the essay sophomore or junior year?

I believe anything before the spring of junior junior year is too early to start working on the admissions essay. You still have a year of life experiences ahead of you that could potentially end up being the perfect topic (and you will be one year stronger as a writer at the end of that year). For tips on how to get a headstart on the personal essay earlier in high school, I recommend starting journaling to get used to writing about yourself in the first person.