This is the question I get the most. Usually from parents of juniors, who want to minimize the stress of applying to college for their students. It makes sense, right? Get the essay out of the way early and eliminate that stress?
Nope. It actually might add to their stress.
If students start writing too soon, they sometimes find that they have very little to say. That is because experiences (both inside and outside of school) typically form the basis of most student essays. And, juniors are in the middle of having those valuable experiences. Now is the time to let them.
It helps to think of high school in stages: Freshman year is all about getting acclimated to high school. Sophomore year is about exploring new opportunities and trying new activities. Junior year is about making choices, deciding what’s important, letting go of some activities, and making more room for the ones that truly matter. This could be extracurriculars at school, but it also could be a part-time job, a volunteer gig, or a deep dive into a personal hobby.
In my experience working with students, some of the most insightful and powerful stories have come from the most unlikely places. They have come from being a hostess at a busy restaurant, from finally hitting the bull’s eye on the archery field, from painting pictures of neighbor’s puppies, and from buying shoes online to resell them…and getting totally ripped off in the process.
Experience is the best teacher, at least that’s what Julius Ceasar once said. If he were reading your student’s college application, he would probably be looking beyond their academic achievements. In fact, students who try to write their essays about academic achievements sometimes get stuck. It’s a topic that can be hard to expand on. And, really, why bother? The reader has that information from the GPA, test scores, and transcript. In the essay, the reader is looking to learn something new, not something they already know.
So, in the college application process, the essay should be done last, not first. Most of my students start the summer before senior year or the beginning of senior year. Meanwhile, students should be learning–by doing well in class, but also just by doing. And, ideally, doing what they love.
