For many West Po seniors, it’s not just their last fall season of high school, it’s also college application season. In our final year of high school, The Wire editors have tried our best to live in the moment- enjoying football games, senior festivities, and school activities, all while working behind the scenes to meet college application deadlines and perfect essays that answer complex questions with fixed word limits.

Making the most out of the last year of high school and applying to college is a tough act to balance as is, so why is the process itself so confusing? From the different types of deadlines to the different questions requirements of each college, there’s a lot of unnecessary pressure placed on students who have post-high school plans. To clear up the confusion, here’s some college application tips from our senior editors:

Start early:

Over the summer, it may be helpful to compile a list of the 10 most prominent activities from high school. These can include Varsity/JV sports, arts, community service, work, and more. It is best for applicants to choose the activities that best show who they are as individuals. Colleges will be able to see your grades, so these activities are there to give institutions insight on who applicants are beyond the classroom.

Get on the Common App ASAP:

The Common App is the website where many colleges and universities host their applications. It drastically
simplifies the process and allows for all applications to be in one place. The site opens on August 1, beginning the application cycle. Once the site opens up, you can view essay prompts and questions from most schools. Current juniors should definitely keep this in mind when wondering when (and where) to start with this process.

Ask for help if you need it:

The college application process is gonna require a ton of writing. During this time, having a good support system of friends to exchange essays with is a great way to get and give feedback. A lot of the time, a second set of eyes can catch mistakes you didn’t even know were there. We recommend running each essay by at least one other person before submitting.

Make college visits:

Even if you don’t decide to do an official college visit, you should definitely make sure to visit your college and look around. Alongside finding out information online, being able to physically visit your college and being able to ask questions is sure to make the college application process smoother.

Complete the FAFSA:

The FAFSA form is a free application to apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, work-study funds, and loans. It gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to help pay for college or career school. Many states and colleges use your FAFSA information to determine your eligibility for state and school aid, and some private financial aid providers may use your FAFSA information to determine whether you qualify for their aid.