I received an outstanding piece of advice at the beginning of my junior year from a senior who I can only describe as an overachiever who seemed to overcomplicate everything related to academics.  Her advice: Start early.

I really wish I had listened to and heeded her advice.

It wasn’t until the end of my junior year that I truly started considering what types of colleges I wanted to attend and which features that they offered would fulfill my ideals of a “perfect college.”  This past summer, I was in a frenzy, trying to figure out what I wanted in a college and where I could actually see myself. This led to an extremely brutal number of nights spent on the College Board’s college preference site, trying to look through all of the suggested matches and a number of college-preparation-related seminars and workshops, which each had a different spin on how to approach entering college.

By the end of July, I had a college list that contained nine schools. Although I know a few people who have accepted the challenge of applying to that many schools (and more), I was not one of them. The main reason I felt I needed to limit the number was because it felt like I was trying to stretch myself too thin.  If I had applied to and been accepted [fingers-crossed] to each of them, I wouldn’t know how to pick the one I really wanted to attend.

My new goal – by the beginning of September was five schools.  I was proud of myself for paring the list down and making a decision, but then several other schools I hadn’t even considered started sending me postcards, brochures and pamphlets; some even offered waiving the fee for my application.

Before I knew it, I had six schools listed on my common-application dashboard, and the College Park application opened in the next window. Of course, next to all of the schools listed were deadlines that had to be accounted for if I hoped to meet my Early Action and therefore stress-free and anxiety-free about my post-secondary education during second semester expectations.

With a long list of schools came a long list of transcript orders, along with information to put on each of my recommenders’ list. On one late September afternoon, I found myself with six transcript orders, facing the question I had been trying to avoid: “Where do you really want to go?” I turned in four transcript requests but had five schools listed when I handed in the sheet to my each of my beloved recommenders.

By mid-October, I had all my applications filled out. I was content with my choices.

By Halloween, I had added another school to the list. All in all, I’m applying to six schools and, to be honest, I’m quite excited about all of those schools. At that point, I was both apprehensive and fervent about admission-decision notices that should start coming in December.

So, with experience in my rear-view window and a twinge of regret in my voice, I say to all juniors: Start looking now.  Start planning to visit schools, go to workshops, and think ahead because senior year rolls up fast, and college applications deadlines start popping up. The college-decision process doesn’t have to be a nightmare as long as you don’t procrastinate and you set goals for yourself.