In this second part of our three-part series on TakeMetoYourLawyer.com – we’ll explore the “mystery” of the great … APPLICATION process.
Application Strategy: Where and How to Apply
As students get deeper into the process, they can control fundamental strategic decisions about their college search and applications.
Students have agency over:
- Where they want to apply
- Which schools they’ll visit and research
- How they approach strategic list building
- Looking for the right fit and match in terms of academics, social environment, and emotional compatibility
This ties directly into what I discuss frequently about strategic list building and finding schools that truly match each individual student. This is something students can take responsibility for and approach from the perspective of what best serves their unique needs and goals.
Essay Writing: Their Story, Their Voice
Students have complete control over their essay writing and what they choose to discuss in their personal statements. While they need to respond to prompts from the Common App options, they get to decide what story they want to tell.
Students often worry excessively about this part of the process, but remembering that the essay is their decision and something they can control provides reassurance as they work through applications.
Students control:
- Which stories to share
- How to present their experiences
- What aspects of their personality to highlight
- The voice and tone of their writing
Timeline and Project Management
Students can control their timeline and project management approach, though external factors sometimes impact these decisions.
What I mean by timeline control is that students can look at application deadlines for their target schools and create a plan that puts them in charge of when work needs to be completed and how much needs to be accomplished at any given time.
Timeline management includes:
- Breaking the large project into manageable steps
- Creating realistic deadlines for each component
- Managing stress through strategic planning
- Taking responsibility for staying on track
Since college applications represent a significant undertaking, ensuring the process is broken down into manageable steps helps many students feel more in control and able to take charge of their responsibilities.
Stay tuned for next week, where we’ll wrap up with The Final Decision, The Right Fit, and the important Support part of this process.
