Being a senior into my second semester of high school, I’ve made it through the college application process, so I can say from experience that it is a beast. Even after being given advice passed down from the seniors that came before me and the extensive prep I did over the summer, the college application process took a lot more out of me than I expected. So in an attempt to keep future generations from making my same mistakes and hitting college applications unprepared, here is some well earned wisdom for how to retain your sanity as you try to make yourself desirable to colleges.

First off, try to narrow down your options before you even start applying. A major problem a lot of people run into is realizing too late that they’ve put too much on their plate. It’s not necessary to apply to 12 colleges when you’re only really going to 1. Try to find 3 or 4 colleges you really want to go to and a couple of safety schools that you know you’ll get into to keep your applications from getting crazy.

Also, do some research beforehand to see what each of your colleges of interest require for their applications. Each college is different, so you need to make sure you plan out your time so you can fit everything in. Some colleges require the SAT, some the ACT, some have special testing requirements like SAT subject tests for specific programs. Make sure you have the score needed for whatever colleges you’re applying to. One thing to look out for is how colleges want you to turn in your application. A lot of colleges either use a system like ApplyTexas or Common Application, where multiple colleges select from the same list of essays and submitting recommendation letters can be done through one system instead of sending them to each college individually. Finding groups of colleges that fall into these systems can streamline the application process since you can use the same essays for multiple applications and send out recommendation letters to all your colleges at once, easing the burden and workload of trying to do several individual applications for each college.

The next step is to try and get a head start in the process once you’ve researched what you have to do. Over the summer start writing your essays and preparing for standardized tests (if you need to take any) so you can be ready once applications open. You may not think this, but once school starts most of your time and focus will be invested in your classes and extracurriculars, making it easy to put college applications on the back burner. Also, when school starts up you want to be ready with your essays, resumes, and other applications materials so you can take advantage of the advice given by counselors and English teachers as you revise your stuff. Plus, the earlier you ask for recommendation letters the better. You want to talk to teachers before they’re swamped by other students for recommendation letters and the normal flood of schoolwork. They will be much more likely to finish on time and write a letter that is tailored to you specifically if they’re not already burned out writing everyone else’s.

Finally, you need to keep track of everything, especially deadlines. So many students fall into the trap of forgetting the little things and missing the deadline for their application because it creeps up on them. Be aware of what needs to get done by when and set goals and checkpoints for yourself to make sure you get everything in on time. As always, the earlier the better- not all colleges have early admission but you will probably still get priority for on campus housing. And don’t think you’re done once the application is finished. There are so many scholarship options not only offered by your school of choice, but also general scholarships that can apply to any school. Find out what these scholarships require and when they are due so you’re not caught off guard. One thing that helps is by saving all the essays you write for your original applications- often you can revise one or add to one and use it for a separate application or a scholarship application. You can save yourself a lot of extra work by using what you’ve already done.

The college application process will be long and arduous and will take the wind out of the strongest students, but it doesn’t have to be the bane of your existence. As long as you prepare effectively, you’ll be able to get the hard stuff out of the way quickly so you can bunker down as senior year begins to blow in full force.