For those applying Early Decision/Early Action the time is creeping up (submission-November 1). I generally have two weeks before the ‘due date’ completion deadline so you, your parents and your Independent Educational Consultant (IEC) or school counselor can double check everything and make sure all your ducks are in a row. When I mean for you to go through your application, this means the essay and supplements should be complete with no changes, meaning that no changes or revisions need to be made with perhaps some grammatical edits.
Here are some things that you might think about now:
Think about all the applications that will be submitted on November 1, 2025. Sometimes, technology gets overwhelmed, even in this day and age. You need to have a deadline date of no later than October 28, 2025. Quite a few years ago, The Common App went down and while the technology was not as sophisticated as it was today, who knows what is lurking in the tech cloud. This is a safety net for you.
If you are sending your scores, send your scores, sometimes, they take a week to send, and think of the backlog that they might have. ACT and College Board have been known to have some ‘oops’ moments in life.
While you may have hired an IEC, your school counselor is still your point person at school. There are things that the IEC cannot do for you. Be reminded that your school counselor has a large responsibility with a lot of seniors on their docket. So, check in with your counselor and see if everything is in order, be sure you have kept up with your school’s portal whether it be Naviance, Unifrog, etc.
While IECs are the ultimate ‘naggers’, parents can be subtle in their support in deadlines. Instead of demanding check-ins with the counselor, parents can be subtle in their statements: let me know when your application is complete and we can go out for a celebration. And of course, it is the student who hits that send button!
Happy Early Decision/Action!