This time of year is proving to be one of the most stressful seasons for many high school seniors. Trips to the pumpkin patch are replaced with trips to the college counselor. To some it may feel like all their parents do is talk about college. To others, their parents have no clue what schools their child is applying to, or what a personal statement is.

With hundreds of schools inundating your email, telling you that they’re the next Harvard, it is very easy to become overwhelmed. Jakob Timmins (12) agrees that, “the amount of schools emailing students is ridiculous.” A few things to look for in these emails are any schools willing to waive your application fee. Some schools may recognize your academic excellence and waive the cost of applying to the school. While some schools will require an essay or writing supplements, many essays can be reused for multiple schools.

As time progresses, more and more opportunities to apply will pass. Early application deadlines are coming upon us quickly. Many schools offer an early action or decision option. Normally, early decision is binding. Meaning, that if accepted, the student has a set amount of time to respond quickly if he or she will attend the school and accept the offer. Early action means that the student will receive a response from the school regarding acceptance at an earlier time than if he or she applied at the normal deadline.

Included is a list of popular schools and their application deadlines.

UC System: November 1-30

Cal State System: October 1- November 30

Chapman: Early Action – November 1

Regular – January 15

USC:  Early Action – December 1

Regular – January 15

After applying to all your possible dream schools, and a few back up schools, it is important to consider looking for outside scholarships. Thousands of dollars in scholarships go unclaimed each year. There are many websites that can help narrow down the ones that you are eligible for. A few are listed.

myscholly.com

unigo.com