My teenager hasn’t started their college essays yet. Should I be worried?
July is here. School is out, temperatures are rising, and kids are settling into their summer routines — or at least whatever the “new normal” version of those routines looks like.
As a parent, you may be keenly aware that college admissions deadlines are approaching. Your child’s school may have even pushed them to start writing their college essays months ago. But when you ask your teen if she’s started on her essays yet, you get a slammed door, rolled eyes, or an exasperated “I’ll get to it!”
Should you be worried?
Not at all. This is one of those times when your teenager really does know best. In fact, the second half of junior summer is actually the perfect time to start working on college essays.
There are few reasons for this. One is that a lot of maturing happens doing during junior year. For most kids, it’s not only the most stressful year of their lives to date, it’s a turning point when the realities of graduation and life beyond the home become more concrete. Junior year, after all, marks the time when high school is more than halfway over.
It’s also a year when teens are asked to flex the academic muscles they’ve been developing in ninth and tenth grades, digging in on the most advanced learning and research they’ve yet encountered. Many juniors take AP courses, which are taught at a college level, and even for those who don’t, the rigor in most honors courses increases dramatically.
Just as important, the intellectual maturation of junior year is followed by the emotional maturation of junior summer. In normal years — i.e. non-Covid — summer jobs, internships, and enrichment programs have a significant impact on a teen’s interests and aspirations, especially when those programs involve time on a college campus. Campus visits can have a similar impact.
Even during this pandemic, however, a lot of subconscious processing is happening right now. Once the mad rush of junior year is over, teenagers can use the space and free time of this summer — the “pause,” if you will — to think about what they really want. What subjects are they truly passionate about? What activities did they love, and why? What challenges and advantages have most shaped them? What issues do they care about most deeply? All of this is gold for a college essay.
Essays written before all of this reflection has happened might contain some decent writing, but the ideas are likely to be half-baked.
That’s why I recommend that students start their college essays in late July or early August. It’s the perfect time to capture the insights and maturity of junior year, while leaving enough of a window to get some serious writing done before senior year begins.
During this time, students should strive to complete their main personal essay — the one we all had to write back in the day — which will be the cornerstone of every application. This essay will take the most heavy lifting in terms of individual reflection, depth, and storytelling. If you put it off until the fall, you’re asking for trouble… especially if your kid is someone who struggles with multitasking.
Before Labor Day, they should also complete the supplemental essays for one or two of their top-choice schools. Supplements are the additional essays that most selective colleges and universities now require (on average, two or three per school). It’s much easier to pump out supplements for the rest of their applications if they’ve already got one or two sets under their belt.
This timeline will make the whole college essay process less stressful. As I often tell my students: writing is hard. Writing about yourself is even harder. Writing about yourself in a high-stakes situation? That’s the hardest thing of all.
So help your teen lower the stakes. Let them chill for another week or so, then take a deep breath and gently guide them towards starting their essays. There may be some wailing, but trust me: they will thank you in the fall!
