When do College Applications Open for the Class of 2025?

College applications for the class of 2025 open on August 1, 2024. However, there are plenty of ways to get a head start before the application opens. Now is the time to narrow down your college list, begin your college essay, ask teachers or professionals for letters of recommendation, and collect a list of activities you’ve been involved in. Familiarizing yourself with the application before starting will help navigate a smoother and more efficient process.

The majority of college applications will open on August 1, 2024. This includes the Common App, which is a platform in which students can apply to multiple schools with the same application. Many student who utilize this platform find it easy to navigate and provides a central hub of all their college applications accessible in one place. College applications can not be completed in one sitting. A thorough and well-developed application should take considerable time, effort, and multiple stages of revision before finally clicking the submit button. Plan for this. Start early and give yourself enough wiggle room to complete the application over multiple increments and a day to look over the final details.

If you are eager and willing to get ahead of the game, crafting your college essay is a fantastic way to start. This portion of the application can seem like the most tedious, but writing your essay does not have to be a burden! Use this space on your application to showcase who you are, what makes you unique, your talents, and why a school should want to accept you. One of the best ways to begin is simply by starting. Your first draft does not have to be your final draft, and it shouldn’t be! If you have an idea, feel free to run with it, and do not be afraid to edit, revise, and switch things up. If you are struggling to come up with a topic, or are stuck while writing your essay, our platform is the perfect place to help you! As college students, we are here to guide you through idea generation, strong essay formats, and help you maintain a storytelling style that is unique to you while helping you stand out to colleges. If applying through the Common App or the Coalition App, the essay prompts are already available for students. Browsing through the topics is a great place to start generating ideas for your essay.

In a college application, there will be at least one section about activities/extracurriculars/leadership/awards. This section can be used to demonstrate who you are beyond academics. Seek to highlight a robust variety of opportunities you are involved in. Consider any honor societies, teams, volunteer opportunities, clubs, etc. you have participated in. One way to strengthen this section is not only to list what the opportunity was but to include any leadership you had within the organization. You can also utilize this space to emphasize the impact you had or the skills you’ve gained. Sometimes it can seem odd to brag about your accomplishments in a format such as this, but colleges are looking to see what students in the class of 2025 are involved in. Be honest and don’t be afraid to highlight the noteworthy accomplishments you’ve done!

Many colleges require letters of recommendation from teachers, employers, or other professionals who know you best. If you have your college list narrowed down, check your schools to see if they require letters of recommendation. Ask early to best benefit yourself and the person you’re requesting a letter from. When deciding who to ask, consider who knows you and your abilities the best. If you plan on applying to a specific program within a college, such as a pre-med program, consider asking a teacher of a relevant subject like a science teacher. If you work in a job, a boss or employer who can speak highly of your abilities and/or work ethic could be a strong person to ask. Overall, make sure you are reaching out early. Often teachers will get asked by multiple students to write letters of rec, and you want to give them enough time to write a thoughtful one that is unique to you. Additionally, teachers may ask for a resume or activities list to speak on your extracurricular activities. You should have a list completed and in a format that can be forwarded to anyone requesting this information. Be sure to give the individual a deadline of when you need the letter to be submitted, but give them ample time to complete a recommendation (it is recommended to give them two to four weeks to complete this). You now know when college applications open for the class of 2025; and you also have an abundance of tips for applying. So what are you waiting for? Get started early and enlist the help of a college mentor!