When should I start preparing for college admission?

You should start preparing in freshman year of high school. This includes focusing on grades, exploring extracurricular activities, and beginning to think about your interests and potential career paths.

What are the most important college admission deadlines?

Key deadlines include: Early Decision/Early Action (November 1-15), Regular Decision (January 1-15), FAFSA opens (October 1), and CSS Profile deadline (varies by school). Our timeline tracker helps you never miss a deadline.

How many college admission tasks are there?

There are 374+ tasks across all four years of high school, including academic preparation, standardized testing, extracurricular activities, college research, applications, and financial aid.

What is included in the admission timeline?

The timeline includes tasks for: A-G requirements tracking, standardized test prep (SAT/ACT/AP), college research and visits, application essays, letters of recommendation, financial aid (FAFSA/CSS), and scholarship applications.

Identify meaningful experiences - Junior Year College Admission

Overview

Your college essays should draw from authentic, meaningful experiences. This brainstorming exercise helps you identify the stories worth telling.

Reflection Prompts

Spend 10 minutes free-writing on each:

Times you failed and learned from it
Moments when your perspective changed
Experiences where you helped others
Challenges you've overcome
Things you've created or built
Relationships that shaped you
Moments of unexpected kindness
Times you questioned beliefs
Activities where you lose track of time
Experiences unique to your background

For Each Story, Ask Yourself

Does this reveal something important about who I am?
Is there growth, change, or insight?
Can I write about this authentically?
Does it show something not obvious from my transcript?

Create Your Story Bank

Rank your top 5 stories by:

Emotional resonance
What they reveal about you
Uniqueness

Why This Matters

You'll draw from this list when writing your Common App essay, UC PIQs, and supplemental essays over the summer.

Overview

Your college essays should draw from authentic, meaningful experiences. This brainstorming exercise helps you identify the stories worth telling.

Reflection Prompts

Spend 10 minutes free-writing on each:

Times you failed and learned from it
Moments when your perspective changed
Experiences where you helped others
Challenges you've overcome
Things you've created or built
Relationships that shaped you
Moments of unexpected kindness
Times you questioned beliefs
Activities where you lose track of time
Experiences unique to your background

For Each Story, Ask Yourself

Does this reveal something important about who I am?
Is there growth, change, or insight?
Can I write about this authentically?
Does it show something not obvious from my transcript?

Create Your Story Bank

Rank your top 5 stories by:

Emotional resonance
What they reveal about you
Uniqueness

Why This Matters

You'll draw from this list when writing your Common App essay, UC PIQs, and supplemental essays over the summer.

Identify meaningful experiences

Step-by-Step Guide

Overview

Reflection Prompts

For Each Story, Ask Yourself

Create Your Story Bank

Why This Matters

Task Details

Track Your Progress

Related Tasks

Identify meaningful experiences

Step-by-Step Guide

Overview

Reflection Prompts

For Each Story, Ask Yourself

Create Your Story Bank

Why This Matters

Task Details

Track Your Progress

Related Tasks