Senior year of high school can be hectic. Closing one chapter and preparing to move on to another is definitely a little bit intimidating. What makes it easier is researching, listening to advice from people who have gone through the process and preparing yourself! I've gathered a few tips to try and help with your college application process and to (hopefully) help you get excited for this new chapter!

Picking Schools
When figuring out where you want to go to school, you need to look at a variety of different things. You need to determine if the college has the major you want, fits your price range, has an ideal location that you'd like to be at and much more. I've applied to over five schools and narrowing down options from there can be challenging.

I got accepted to some that were close to where I grew up and others that were a little farther away. Figuring out where you're going to spend the next four years of your life can be really fun, but also very stressful. My suggestion is to sit down and prioritize what you want from your potential college. Do you want to be close to family or do you want to experience a new place? Do you want more of a creative environment? Are you looking for a school with great sports teams? These are some of the things you might want to factor in during the early stages of decision making. Once you figure out what is important to you, make a list of all the schools that you like and that also check all the boxes of importance!

Time Management
Time management is key when it comes to the college application process. Every college has different application deadlines that you will need to abide by. Learning to balance and manage your time will be essential throughout this whole process. I suggest divvying up a few tasks or applications per night or week (depending on how many you are trying to get through) so that you don't stress yourself out trying to get it all done at once.

Once You're Ready to Apply...

Start With a Clean and Organized
Desk Space
My desk is fairly small so these Wood Framed Hexagon Wall Organizers helped me get organized. Now I hang pictures and important papers on the cork board and keep track of my schedule on the whiteboard. The Wooden Desk Accessories help me organize my books, papers, pens and other supplies since I don't have any drawers built-in. The new Trailblazer Desk Chair is super stylish and has great back support for long nights of writing. When my desk is clean and organized I feel more calm. You definitely want to be at ease when brainstorming all the things you want to include in your application essay.

Tips for Scholarships and College Applications
Starting the end of your junior year, start making a spreadsheet for different scholarships and deadlines for when they're due.

During senior year, you're going to be really busy with other activities. In my essays, I like to touch upon my community involvement, academic honors I've received, organizations I'm involved in, goals for the future and why I think I would be a good fit for either the scholarship or school. Each essay is going to be a little different but creating a resume can help remind you of all the activities and accomplishments you've been involved with.

Because many applications are very similar, saving your work is going to save you a lot of time.

While the application process is different for everyone, these tips are universal. Applying for college can be nerve-wracking but it's important to think of the positives! College is such an important part of growing up and there are going to be many lifelong memories, from move-in day, bonding with roommates, game days, Greek life and so much more!

I wish you luck in your process of finding the college that works best for you! Have fun and enjoy this time in your life!