Why is the college application process so rigorous? Who knows. But, as seniors who have hit that glorious submit button on common app, we have helpful insight on how to survive the common app and the stress that comes with it.

Last year when we were juniors, we both found it stressful to look for colleges to apply to. Over time, we learned that using Naviance eases that struggle. Naviance has detailed lists and charts of statistics and various information on a large number of colleges. Using Naviance makes the college process easier because it already has done research for you-you just need to go ahead and look. Naviance even provides a quiz that will give you your perfect match for college. Now, how awesome is that?

Another crucial piece of advice we have to offer is time management. During the school year things can get pretty crazy. Especially if you are taking a rigorous course load and/or play a sport. A very good way to manage this is starting early. Over the summer when free time is plentiful it can be very advantageous to get a jump start on the process. Compile a list of schools and visit a few of them! You can even turn it into a mini vacation. If you’re looking at two schools in the D.C area do you research and find a few more. It’s very beneficial to kill two birds with one stone. Knocking visits out of the way can really save you stress in the busy school year.

In addition, an  important tip to keep in mind is planning for error. Don’t submit you application the night it is due! Submitting a week in advance can provide you time to make sure all of your transcripts and SAT/ACT scores are in. Failing to give yourself ample time can cause headache and cause you to miss a deadline if there is a problem with the college/university receiving your information. Missing a deadline can rule out a college as an option all together!

Test scores are an essential part of your college application. It is a summary of all that you have learned throughout your years in high school. Take the test more than once! All juniors at Hall take the SAT their junior year. However, the college board reports that 55% of all juniors that retake the SAT as seniors score higher. Retaking the SAT can help improve your chances of getting into that dream school of yours! If you struggle on standardized testing, don’t worry! Many schools are starting to offer test-optional policies where you simply submit your transcript and letters of recommendation.

Senioritis-we hate it, we all have it, it’s inevitable. Don’t let it take over your senior year! A great tip for impressing colleges is submitting your quarter 1 grades of your senior year. But, colleges will want to see your best effort, so don’t slack off. By submitting your best grades you can show the admission officers how responsible you are, for lots of seniors unfortunately end with poor grades. They won’t want to see bad grades, so keep up the good work!

The college application process can certainly be stressful, however with the right time management and determination it can easily be conquered.