As November 1 comes around the corner, the seniors begin to panic. Sending in all of the transcripts, self reports, essays, supplementals, applications, test scores, etc. is a lot to handle, and students can easily be overwhelmed. The key to feeling stress free during the rush of early action is not procrastinating.

Easier said than done. With all of the school work piling on, life can get hectic. That’s why it is important to get as much done as possible during the summer, when you’re not drowning in English homework. Here are five tips to make life a lot easier when applying to college.

1. As mentioned before, don’t procrastinate. You will be doing yourself a favor not stressing over the deadlines.
2. Finish your personal essay during the summer. Since, that itself is a big chunk of the applying process, a big hurdle will automatically be out of your way.
3. Start applying as soon as the common app opens which is August 1. Therefore, you have less to do later on in the year.
4. In your list of schools apply as much as you can to any schools that offer early action. That way you can find out if you are accepted earlier.
5. Remember, it is senior year. Try not to stress over things out of your control and enjoy the little moments with the people you love. Cherish these memories of your last year in high school, because you will never get them back again.