The College Application Guide I Wish I Had — Part 2: While You Apply
How to survive essays, extracurriculars, letters of rec, and more.
Hi! This is Maya Shih from the class of 2026. Since I just graduated, I thought it would be a great opportunity to share my tips and tricks on the college app process with the current Mariner community! This series of articles comes from my original Medium blog. The original posts are linked below if you’d like to read them in their original format, but they are also all available here on the Mariner Explorer website!
So you’re starting your college apps? Fret not, gentle reader!
Welcome to Part 2 of “The College Application Guide I Wish I Had,” a 3-part series of college app tips from a recent high school grad, where I share everything I wish I knew before, during, and after applying to college (in the US). In Part 2, I’m covering the ins and outs of the application itself, including essays, extracurriculars, letters of rec, and more.
Psst… check out the full series of articles:
Part 1: Before You Apply
Part 2: While You Apply
Part 3: After You Apply
1. Start earlier than you think.
My biggest regret in the college app process was procrastinating on my essays. Despite usually being an anti-procrastinator, I didn’t start drafting essays until the start of senior year, and I felt super overwhelmed.
To avoid that, I recommend to start brainstorming and drafting your essays no later than the summer before your senior year. I suggest focusing first on the Common App personal statement and the UC Personal Insight Questions (if applicable), then supplemental essays or short-answer questions. Plus, don’t wait to create your application accounts. In addition to drafting essays and extracurricular descriptions, you can fill in easy info like grades during the summer before senior year. Simply seeing each part of the application will help you understand the scope and nature of the work you need to do.
If you’re a senior and you haven’t started your essays yet, don’t fret! Avoid putting it off until the last minute (I know, easier said than done.) Write a first draft ASAP, and don’t worry about it being perfect. A first draft is just about getting words on the page. You can edit as much as you want later, but you need something to edit first!
Give yourself time to break up the work into manageable chunks. Instead of trying to write a bunch of essays in one day, commit to drafting one or two every week. Writing essays is a long and difficult process. It’s crucial to do multiple rounds of revisions; you need time away from your drafts so you can return with fresh eyes. Plus, others need time to give feedback on your essays!
2. Reuse your essays.
Many supplemental essay prompts are similar, so save time and energy by reusing essays. Try dumping every essay prompt into a single spreadsheet or doc, and see where they overlap. (Include required word counts!) Figure out which prompts you can use the same essay for. You can write essays from scratch with several prompts in mind, or adapt existing essays for other prompts.
Plus, reuse college application essays for scholarship applications. Get that free dough!
3. Quantify your impact in extracurriculars.
What will set your extracurriculars apart from other applicants is the depth of your commitment and the impact you made. When describing ECs, quantify your impact. That means talk in numbers: How much money did you raise? How many people did you manage? How many followers did you gain?
That said, make sure your application also includes what you got out of the experience. What skills did you gain? What lessons did you learn? What challenges did you overcome and how? How will this experience help you in college? Since extracurricular sections have tight word limits, supplemental essays are a good place to include this kind of reflection.
4. “Just be yourself” (but like, how?)
Don’t risk losing your voice by trying hard to impress the admissions officers (AOs). Avoid flowery, poetic, or overly academic language. Just write like yourself (or perhaps a slightly more polished version of you). Ask yourself, “Could someone else tell this same story in this same way?”
My biggest advice for “being yourself” is to lean into your quirks.
I’m not like the other applicants. (Hair toss.) I was the editor-in-chief of a Harry Potter-themed newspaper in middle school, I wore a pink Legoland hat every day for over 5 years, and I made a LinkedIn account when I got home from school on my 16th birthday.
No essay idea is a bad idea — except the ones that are. How to avoid cliche essay topics?
Make a list of your most unique personality traits, quirks, anecdotes, memories, important or sentimental objects, habits, and niche interests in one document. Braindump every essay idea, even if you think it’s stupid! This list will help you write an essay that tells the AOs something they would never know from looking at the rest of your application. It’s truly not the what, it’s the why; you can tell an interesting story about your life through the most “boring” (or most niche) thing. Being a little weird (or a lot) will help you stand out.
Reading example essays and asking for feedback can help, but do so only after you have written your first draft. Limit the number of people who read your essays, as you don’t want too many conflicting opinions. It’s best to share essays with those who know you personally and whom you trust.
P.S. While AI may be helpful in the brainstorming or editing process, use it sparingly and carefully so you retain your voice and personality.
5. Not all letters of rec are made equal.
Ask teachers, coaches, mentors, etc. for letters of recommendation who can speak to your academic and/or personal growth and personality traits. It’s best if they can provide specific examples of your skills, character, and achievements.
Always request a letter of rec in person; then send a follow-up email with more detail if they accept, including when and how to submit the letter. Ask far in advance of your deadline so the recommender has plenty of time to write the letter. If it’s not required by your school already, email your recommender a “brag sheet” to help them write their letter! (Here is an example.) Point them to specific traits, projects, or impacts you made that they witnessed and you want them to include. Finally, send a thank-you email after they submit the letter!
6. Stay organized.
I created one spreadsheet with a few tabs, including a “College Research List” to compare schools and “Deadlines & Decisions” to track due dates, application components, and college decisions. You can find free templates online, or make your own. (See this comprehensive example). Don’t forget to keep track of deadlines for financial aid applications, such as the FAFSA or the CSS Profile, which both usually open on October 1.
Make a dedicated Google Drive folder and desktop folder to house all your college application materials so they are easy to find! Keep a physical folder or filing system for pamphlets, booklets, informational flyers, etc.
Pro tip: Never write your essays or extracurriculars in the application site itself. Always save it somewhere else, like a Google Doc, so you don’t risk losing all your work. Plus, having access to version history gives you proof of original work and protects you against plagiarism or AI allegations.
7. Ask for support, and a lot of it.
College apps are not and should not be a pay-to-play game! Take advantage of any free resources such as:
- school counselors (or outside counselors, if available)
- English teachers (to read your essays)
- family members
- trusted peers or friends
- upperclassmen at your school
- school-organized workshops
- free online workshops and webinars
- YouTube videos
- articles and blog posts online (check out College Essay Guy)
- free test prep (Khan Academy has a great free SAT course) — P.S. The rule of thumb for submitting scores to test-optional colleges is: submit your score if it is at or above the college’s average (the 50th to 75th percentile) for admitted students.
… and much more!
Thanks for reading! Here’s a quick recap:
- Start earlier than you think.
- Reuse your essays.
- Quantify your impact in extracurriculars.
- “Just be yourself.” (Lean into your quirks!)
- Not all letters of rec are made equal.
- Stay organized.
- Ask for support, and a lot of it.
The college app process can feel super overwhelming (trust me, I’ve been there), but it’s not forever! I hope these tips help you navigate it as efficiently, stress-free, and confidently as possible. If you haven’t already, check out Part 1 and Part 3 of the series. If you know someone who could benefit from this series, feel free to share it.
As always, I wish you the best of luck! You got this!
P.S. Feel free to reach out to me at mayomaya3737@gmail.com if you have questions or would like further advice!
