College application season has begun and seniors all over the world are finding ways to stand out to universities in order to be accepted. Many students do not know how to efficiently get their applications done, especially if the teen is applying to a multitude of schools. It is important to figure out a list of schools prior to August 1st so you will know how much time you will need to complete these goals. You will also need to take into consideration if you will be applying for financial aid aka FAFSA. After this list is completed, it will be wise to create a game plan for the next 4-6 months. Depending on how many schools you are applying to, split up the work for each month/week/day in order to complete all the goals by the set date you would like to submit them at. For example, if you choose to apply to Stanislaus State, give yourself maybe 2 months to complete the CSU application.

It is crucial to make sure your goals are not impossible though. Spending 6 hours a day on college applications for the next six months may not be a very wise decision. Another tip on having a better application with less stress is research. There are thousands of college resources on the internet created by alums, counselors, and more qualified individuals that can help make this period of time a little easier. When doing research, you can eliminate the stress of having so much to do but so little knowledge. It will help you break down your work and learn how to stand out. 

I decided to sit down and talk with my friend and fellow senior, Stephanie Khoury and discuss how she is tackling the stress of the next few months. She says that whenever she feels too stressed she likes to take a break and make sure to take deep breaths. Sometimes during her break, she will watch her favorite show or take a nap to feel more refreshed. There are multiple ways to handle college application season in a calm and productive manner. The main way to achieve this is by creating goals ahead of time and making sure not to procrastinate or else you will have to pay for it in the future. It is important to remember though that every school is different and though there may be a lot of interesting ones, it is good to find a handful that are the most appealing to apply to.