🚨 July College App Check-In: 5 Things You Should be Doing NOW

We’re in the heart of summer—and if you’re a rising senior, now is not the time to relax when it comes to college apps. Here’s what you should have on your radar this month to stay ahead:

1. Finalize Your School List (Strategically)

Too many students build unrealistic or overly narrow lists.

Your list should be balanced across Dream, Reach, Target, and Safety schools—and reflect your academic profile and personal preferences.

👉 Use the School Research Tracker to go beyond rankings. Look at major offerings, student culture, internship access, and post-grad outcomes.

👉 Don’t fall into the prestige trap—what matters most is fit.

2. Write Your Personal Statement

At this point, you should be done brainstorming and deep into drafting.

Focus on reflection, not just storytelling. Admissions officers care about how you think and grow, not just what happened.

👉 Not sure if your topic is working? Check this PS post to evaluate it

3. Build a Sharp Activities List

Don’t just list what you did—communicate impact, leadership, and personality.

💡 Are you using action verbs? Are your descriptions concrete and comparative?

Make sure each entry tells us something admissions officers wouldn’t learn from your transcript. Your activity list is your first impression—make it impressive.

4. Get Ahead on Supplements

If you already know which schools you’re applying to early (ED/EA), you should start outlining those supplements.

👉 Some schools have already released their prompts, whereas others come out Aug 1. However, most prompts stay the same year to year. Look at last year’s to start early.

5. Plan Your Rec Letter Asks (if you haven't already)

Make your asks ASAP when school starts and provide a thoughtful, detailed brag sheet or resume. You want your recommenders to have time and context to write something strong.

👉 Reminder: Admissions isn't just about what you did—it's how you package it. And July is the time to start that packaging process with intention.

Questions about where to start? Let me know 🤍

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