Be sure to invest your time wisely in terms of preparing your college applications! Especially if you are seeking admission to the most highly selective of universities, you are going to want to make sure to file the best college applications you possibly can. Here are some of the keys to ensuring that you do so.

First, and most importantly, you have to give yourself enough time before deadlines. Deadlines in this process are non-negotiable, so you have to plan accordingly. My best advice is to collect deadlines of schools of interest, and then set your own deadline for completion of the application one to two weeks in advance of that – and stick to it! Complete the application in its entirety (including pasting in the essays), but wait to submit it. Then go back to it after 4 or 5 days, read it again from beginning to end, making corrections and edits, and then submit it to admissions.

Second, carefully select just one or two people who will give you feedback about your essays – NO more than that; too many cooks spoil the broth! Select them according to both your relationships with them and their strengths, choosing perhaps one to give you feedback on grammar and sentence structure and mechanics, and the other to work with you on the topic, content and overall message of your essay. Don’t fill your essay with things you think others want to hear; be genuine; write about something that is really about you, your views, your opinions, your ideas, or it will simply not be effective.

Third, especially if you are applying to highly selective universities (in the U.S. in particular), capitalize on any key talents or achievements. If you are a superb artist, an excellent musician, an outstanding leader, an accomplished writer, debater, science competition winner, etc, you should send copies of evidence of it, as a supplement to your application (where universities will accept the additional materials). These might be recordings, digital portfolios, certificates, newspaper articles, or other scrapbook type items.

Fourth, select and prepare your recommendation writers by sharing information about what you are seeking, what you perceive to be your strengths, and what you have accomplished. The best and most effective recommendations give specific examples of the applicant’s demonstrated qualities, and reinforce the messages the applicant is trying to send through the essays and other parts of the application. You can provide copies of your essays, resume, portfolio and anything else that you think may inform them better, or even write them a brief letter describing what you want to achieve and why you think you are a strong applicant for a certain type of program. As far as selection, if you are applying for a science program, select a science or math teacher who can speak to your strong analytical abilities, participation in science competitions or other strengths you have demonstrated relating to study of science. If your strength is leadership, make sure the writer is aware of what you have participated in, what you have achieved, traits that make you a strong leader, how you were selected for leadership roles and how you fulfilled them.

And last, if you are applying to U.S. colleges or UK programs that require testing, choose test prep that is appropriate for your learning style and circumstances, and aim for a 3-4 month or more advance time frame. “Crash” courses that are 6 weeks prior to the test don’t show the same levels of effectiveness as a prolonged, disciplined approach does. Plan to take your test at least twice, as the greatest improvements are usually shown between the first and second attempts, especially with the right prep!