5 Tips for Finishing your UChicago Application
- Get all your logistics in line- Who is writing you a letter of recommendation? Are you sending in test scores and do you have them ready to send? Have you completed all of your high school’s requirements for graduation? Do you know when the deadline is that you’ll be applying for?
- Write now, edit later- College essays can be overwhelming. I found that I was so concerned with writing an amazing essay that I wound up having writer’s block. Even if your essay isn’t great the first time through, that’s completely okay! It’s much better to write whatever you can to get your creative juices flowing than to stare at a blank page. No essay is going to be absolutely perfect in the first draft, so stop stressing and start writing!
- Proofread, proofread, proofread! - If you find yourself stuck at any point in your essay writing process, it generally helps to take a break, go for a workout, eat a snack and then re-read what you’ve already written. Not only will this help you to catch small grammar errors, but it can also help with writer’s block.
- Share your essays- Make sure you have at least one other person read your essay before you submit it. Writing always benefits from an additional pair of eyes.
- Be genuine in your application- If you have genuine interest in the school you’re applying to and the extracurriculars that you list in your application, that will mean a lot more than how many honor society meetings you’ve attended. Extracurriculars are definitely important, but only to the extent that they tell a story of who you are and what you’re interested in. It is much better to have an application that is genuine than to have a run-of-the-mill application full of things that you aren’t actually interested in.
There you have it, five tips to help you finish your applications off strong! Remember that you’ve made it this far and at the end of the day, you’re going to end up someplace great. Take a deep breath and get through the final push.