As notifications from early applications have started to roll in, those yellow triangles on the CommonApp that represent my incomplete regular applications have begun to bother me more.

Before receiving early application results, I and other seniors must make important decisions as to how to deal with regular decision applications.

Should we wait until we hear back from our early schools? Or should we prepare for the worst and keep working on our remaining regular applications? And how do we decide which option to choose?

Waiting to start regular applications and getting accepted will mean that no time was wasted on extraneous applications. However, if the result is a rejection, then there is a limited amount of time to finish the remaining supplements.

“I think [that seniors] should have their applications mostly prepared. Things should be pretty much ready to go so that those last two weeks aren’t stressful,” said Barbara Wolfson, the Academic Center Coordinator and parent of a Wayland High School graduate,.“You don’t want to start from scratch.”

I asked several seniors who had applied early to colleges as to whether or not they were waiting for December 15^th to start their regular applications, and if they had been working on their college applications, how they chose which applications to start first.

Augy Cohn

“I am [currently] doing the supplements for three schools. For regular decision, I started with the supplements for the schools that I want to go to the most.”

Amelia Lin

“I’m waiting for December 15th because the remaining supplements aren’t that hard. I feel like I have enough time to finish them by January 15th.”

Sam English

“I don’t plan on starting until Christmas Break. I haven’t started anything yet because I’m waiting to hear back from my early action schools. I don’t want to start anything if I don’t have to.”

Michelle Fromzel

“I’m [still working] on finishing my applications to the schools that I have a better chance at and the ones that that I want to go to the most.”

Graham Mellen

“I finished my regular applications. I wrote a few practice essays that were for my safeties, and then I was able to rework and improve those essays to fit questions for other schools.”

Elise Fantoni

“I’m finishing [my application process] with the school that I like the most so that I can get the application to be perfect. I started with my safety so that I could have an idea [as to] how the Common App works – it was kind of like my test drive. My first choice will be the real thing.”

Christa Villari

“I was really tempted to hold off on finishing my applications but I’ve actually pulled myself together and I started to write a few. I wrote the supplements to my top 3 schools and I’m waiting for December 15th to do the edits and final touches.”

Seniors: how are you addressing your Regular Applications? Underclassmen: what would you do?