Hi, Reader!

How many supplemental essay Google Docs are open in your browser right now? And how many of them did you swear you’d finish in October?

If that question made you wince, you’re in good company. Most of the seniors I’m talking to this week are somewhere between “almost done” (hooray!) and “please don’t ask” (we got this!).

The good news is you still have four weeks until Dec. 1, and that’s plenty of time if you plan it out. (If you’d rather work through it with someone, a Power Hour is a fast way to get unstuck.)

Four weeks until Dec. 1. Start drafting this week.

Here’s how I’d split up the next few weeks:

• This week (Nov. 4–10): Make one list of every deadline you have left. Include applications, scholarships, and portal documents, with the actual date next to each one. UC closes Nov. 30. UT Austin and Texas A&M are both due Dec. 1, and A&M wants all your documents by Dec. 15. Then start drafting. Pick the essay with the earliest deadline (or the one you’ve been avoiding) and get words on the page before the weekend.
• Next week (Nov. 11–17): Finish drafting. Any essay that’s still a blank page or a bulleted outline gets a full, messy draft this week. Messy is fine. You can’t edit a blank page.
• Week three (Nov. 18–24): Revise, and get one person to read your essays. One. (You remember what I said before about the risks of sending your essay to five people for feedback?) This is also the week to make sure your recommenders know your deadlines before they leave for Thanksgiving break, if they don’t know them already.
• Thanksgiving week (Nov. 25–Dec. 1): Proofread on paper, paste everything into the Common App, preview the PDF for one last proofread, and submit. If you can hit submit by Nov. 25, Thanksgiving can be an actual day off.

• Lots of merit scholarships have their own deadlines, and Dec. 1 is a big one. UVA’s Jefferson Scholars, Vanderbilt’s scholarships, and Richmond Scholars all close that day.
• Some schools, like Boston University and USC, have hard merit cutoffs. Check each school’s scholarship page as well as its application deadline.
• If a school asks for a separate scholarship essay, give it the same care as your supplements.

See my full calendar here.

Our dog, Lucy, has two puppy BFFs down the street, and this morning I woke up to one of the neighbor puppies jumping on my bed. (Good morning to me.)

When they get together, they tear around for a hot minute, and then they’re done with each other. Their playdates don’t last long, but they have the best time while they’re going on.

I’m kind of like that as an essay coach. I’m in my students’ lives for a few intense months, and then they move on to their next great adventure. That’s how it should be, but I do miss our conversations.

So seniors, here’s my one ask: when decisions start coming in, tell me where you got in and where you end up. I love the chance to celebrate with you.

Happy Writing!

Julia

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