I have done my fair share of college research and preparation activities, and from time to time serve as an emotional stability guru for other seniors going through the process at my school. It seems big and scary and overwhelming, but like most things- it is just another stepping stone in the little yellow brick road that is your life. I envisioned myself pre-stressing about stress that the college application process would present me, so I did a ton of research. After which, I have managed to contain most of my breakdowns to just about five to ten minutes tops. So, if after reading this paragraph you aren’t convinced the rest of this article will change your life, I do apologize- I have 12 more college essays to write. All, failed, jokes aside, I hope this helps. Below are my top tips to making the college application process as painless and exciting as possible.

1. Make the Account- Just the other day, I was asked where to start because one of my good friends felt as if he hadn’t made it far enough into the application experience to be well prepared for submission in December. I answered with a quick, “Make an account.” Now for him, it was a Common Application Account, but it goes for everything else as well. Get online click in your information and glance over the application to allow yourself some thinking time for scheduling, which brings me to number two.

2. Get a Calendar- A wall calendar, a phone calendar, a desk calendar, or any other calendar that you might find works. Even with all the prep work possible applying to college is a lot of work, and if you just have this big jumble of things that need to be done you will most likely end up in the middle of your floor crying for help because it is all just too much. However, if you set yourself some realistic deadlines and work towards achieving them each small feat feels like a gigantic accomplishment. Also, you will be sure to never end up doing everything in one night, which is never a good thing.

3. Talk to Your Guidance Counselor- I probably am in my guidance office about three times a day discussing my college options. That is what they are there for and they are truthfully some of the best people to get advice from. They also are great at help you narrow down your search and saving you from some additional and unnecessary stress.

4. Show Off- This is your time to show off all that you have accomplished during high school, do not be modest- YOU ARE AMAZING! Unless of course you want to pay a lot of extra money for school, and no one wants to do that. It is sometimes really hard to be incredibly complimentary of yourself, but I am telling you right now that you are an awesome individual and the school of your dreams wants you- you just have to convince them that they need you.

5. Do Your Own Research- Look up colleges, take tours, explore majors, and get excited. This is the fork in our yellow brick roads and we have the ability to decide which road we choose. It is here. So, do not stress- enjoy it, it only happens once.