Our 2 oldest waited until the last minute and both got into their first-choice school early decision, but it was a very stressful process for all of us. Our youngest just finished hers yesterday and the atmosphere at our house right now is very chill. I love all my kids dearly, but she is my favorite!

Anonymous wrote:DD has a common app draft and drafts for supplements done. Her school requires seniors to come to school ready with a common app draft

That's great! What school is it? I like the focus on apps that assignment shows.

OP, it's maddening but you need to get in the back seat (let the kid drive). My oldest had 2 good drafts by this time his senior year. My second didn't start hers until October of senior year. (And our neighbor's kids started over Thanksgiving and Christmas break -- all 3 of those kids go to top 20 colleges). I'd say we parented the two exactly the same way but different kids respond differently. Let their college counselors and peer pressure be the bad guys here.

DD has a common app draft and drafts for supplements done. Her school requires seniors to come to school ready with a common app draft

Too late to help you now, but I required my kids to work on essays in the summer prior to senior year (most admissions prompts remain the same).

I'd make a point of requiring it...signed, Helicopter.

DD had 2 apps in by this time. She had friends who waited till winter break to start. All were happy with their results.

I understand it can drive you crazy.

I would like to recommend no one comment unless they have been through this as a parent - recently.

Step away helicopter.

All of mine, even my normally way-ahead-of-the-game kid, started them a couple of days before the deadline.

My kid is only a junior, so I don't have experience with this, but I recently heard some advice about college essays: if possible, rather than writing an essay in response to one of the prompts, the applicant should use a good essay that he's written previously, and tweak it to make it fit, however broadly, one of the application prompts.

"Can't get DC to start college essay?"

Walk over to your calendar.

IT'S AUGUST!!!

OP,
Early decision deadline is when? Try and relax. My son did a few drafts. No big.

You're joking, right?

Most kids will write their college essays at the last minute, because they work better under pressure.
Last minute can mean 2 weeks to 2 days before each deadline.
The quality of the polished essays will depend on objective criteria, most notably the writing skills your child has been honing for 10 years; and subjective criteria at the whim of the reader.

How does your DC work? If he's a last minute kind of kid, there's not point in making him start them now. If he wants to exercise his writing skills, great. But on other stuff.

My ds got into Yale. He did one draft, one final.

How much time/effort did your DC put in? Has your rising senior started? I have looked at a couple books recommended by the school counselor, and it sounds like a lot of work, multiple drafts, etc. DC will probably apply ED, and I'm really peeved he didn't at least do a little brainstorming or outlining this summer before school starts.