by Kate Tayler
Procrastination and high schoolers go hand in hand. Whether it’s just a bad habit or a bad case of senioritis, it’s a serious problem. Most high school teachers set up the classes in a way that enable waiting until the last minute (sometimes literally) to complete work. I, myself, have benefitted from some 11:59 deadlines. However for seniors and in the future for underclassmen, these high school habits have to be kicked before college applications come around the corner.
Don’t get me wrong: I am no stranger to procrastination. So far this year, I have completed every calculus project in its entirety the night before it was due, I have stayed up until 2am countless nights finishing news stories for my school’s newspaper so that I don’t miss the deadline, and I cannot even count how many times that I’ve hit my page count in my independent reading period before English. I am a firm believer that my best work is completed in the early hours of the morning. However, since entering the entirely frightening world of college admissions and scholarship applications, I have realized that this awful habit of mine is doing little but inhibiting my potential opportunities.
Here’s the thing: colleges don’t take excuses. Sometimes in high school, they’ll let a few little things slide. Colleges, however, aren’t going to care that soccer practice ran late or you had dinner at Grandma’s house; they’ll simply say that you should have started sooner. Everything you do (or don’t do) for a college when applying is taken into consideration and accounted for. With so many applicants to look at each day, I believe it’s a safe bet that they’ll prioritize the applications of those who turned everything in (transcripts, test scores, recommendation letters, essays, etc.) on time rather than those who were late. In classes, the impact of one assignment is just a portion of the final grade. In college admissions, the impact of your application is what makes or breaks admission decisions.
It would be hypocritical for anyone to say that they’ve never procrastinated; some people may fall victim less than others, but I doubt there is anyone out there that hasn’t. However, when it comes to college admissions and all the things that come with that, take your time. If it really matters to you, then make sure that it is visible. Carve out a little extra time before the night before to really work on those essays and give it your all. This time of your life only comes around once and you gotta make the most of it; the next 4+ years of your life will be determined by the effort you put in in the coming years or months.
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