Start early; save often.

By Stephanie Lapat

In the old days of computer discs, I remember the best piece of advice I ever heard: “start early; save often”. This was in the context of college essay writing, and the high school senior sharing her wisdom with me, a ninth grader at the time, had just experienced a catastrophic setback because of a computer melt-down. After that incident, she saved every line of every draft of her college essay to a different floppy disc, hiding them around her bedroom and car and school locker to prevent having to replicate any more of her painstakingly personal work.

For the generation of students whose work is automatically saved in fairly secure places no matter what device they’re using, this advice is still relevant – and it also resonates with other aspects of the college application process. 

The “start early” part of that old advice might have become even more important in our current world. Given the number of college tours/SAT dates/activities that were canceled during the pandemic, I recommend that you take advantage of any visits/tests/volunteering opportunities you can find. Starting this process earlier than you think you should takes the pressure off during “normal” times, but when I think about the number of students who were truly panicked about doing any of the above things when the world shut down, this advice rings even more true.

“Start early” also pertains to the year you enter high school. Ninth grade matters. It’s not like just a few decades ago when Gen-Xers were applying to college. Back in those dark ages, students got credit for growing up throughout high school and the ninth grade data just didn’t enter the equation in the same meaningful way. Now, a cumulative GPA is just what it sounds like: all four years’ grades averaged together. (Obviously colleges still appreciate students maturing throughout high school, but in today’s uber competitive environment, many admissions officers now think of that progression as good grades in “regular” level classes early in high school transforming into good grades in ultra rigorous classes later in high school. And for those parents about to sell their houses and move to a town whose public high school boasts more AP/IB classes, take a deep breath! Every college admissions office in this country still evaluates all students’ transcripts in the context of what their own high school offers.)

But it’s not just about classes and grades any more. Character counts in college admissions (that was an actual title of an article in a recent business publication – not even an academic publication!) so start early with that aspect of the college application process, too. Make the most of those early high school years (before prepping for standardized tests and taking drivers’ ed and completing all those other time-consuming commitments) by finding classes you love and engaging in meaningful activities. 

And now we’ve arrived at the “save often” part of my high school friend’s advice. To parents of ninth (and possibly even tenth) graders, these suggestions might seem kind of crazy right now, but I bet you a fancy mixed drink that you will thank me in two or three years. Think about encouraging your students to start a Google Doc or a “new note” on their phone.  They’re the generation who can save any document in any place, so why not? Your kids should be jotting down a few notes about interesting experiences, important academic projects, or meaningful conversations/trips/traditions. Why? Because without even realizing it, they will be drafting their resumes and/or essays without exerting any effort at all. And it’s those specific details (the ninth grade story or the tenth grade example) that will make the written pieces of their college applications come to life in wonderful ways. 

I can’t even count the number of students who sit next to me and scratch their heads in bewilderment as they try to remember how they earned their community service hours in ninth grade or the name of that really cool activity they did in tenth grade. Learn from their befuddlement and encourage your kid to track their experiences as they’re happening. I am NOT recommending that your student write mini-college essay drafts after each afternoon tutoring elementary school students or stacking food in your local food pantry. I am simply suggesting that a line or two that captures how it felt when the little kid down the street jumped up and down in excitement after finally understanding a math concept or when the elderly food pantry client complimented their smile are the elements of a college essay that help the reader picture the scene – and they’re also the elusive particulars that will have slipped most students’ minds three years later.

Following my “save often” suggestions will also help your student avoid one of the largest obstacles most students face in the college application process: getting started. Procrastination is a real problem for most high school students as they embark on what many of them see as the most important decision of their lives. (First of all, take another one of those deep breaths. Help maintain your student’s mental health while taking some of the pressure off this entire situation. Constantly remind your children how much you love them and that whatever college they attend will be a wonderful place for them to learn and grow!)

Frequently students procrastinate writing their essays because they don’t know where to begin. My system precludes that problem . . . without even realizing it, students have been “starting” their college essays for years! And once students actually begin writing, each successive paragraph flows a bit more easily.

 So, what happened to my high school friend who lost all her original work? She so idealized that original version that comparing every later draft back to the missing essay inspired her to continue editing and altering, cutting and adding, shaping and reshaping. She ultimately crafted a significantly better college essay than she ever could have produced had she not lost her original rough draft. She was accepted to all of her best fit colleges, and isn’t that the point of the whole process?