Let’s be honest: we all procrastinate from time to time. It’s a bad habit many of us develop, especially when facing big tasks. It’s easy to put things off for a little while, particularly if we’re busy, believing that we’ll come back to them when we’re ready.
If you’ve done that with your college admissions work, then you’re not alone.
After all, the admissions preparation process is long and tedious, and life doesn’t stop just because you’re trying to prep your application materials. Balancing daily school with top grades, extracurriculars, standardized test prep, and daily life activities, all while battling our phones and constant distractions, it’s easy to push things off and say, “Tomorrow I’ll get to this….” When it comes to college admissions, procrastination can feel like the antidote to all the chaos, giving us a chance to breathe.
But tomorrow often comes sooner than expected, and procrastination is unfortunately just a temporary fix that hides a bigger problem: missed time. If this resonates with you, don’t worry; Empowerly supports you! If you’re ready to stop delaying and want to regain the time lost on your college applications, this guide is for you. We’ll outline practical strategies to manage your applications effectively, lower stress, and help improve your chances of success.
Ready to get started? Let’s jump right in.
Why prioritizing your application tasks matters
If you’re reading this, you’re probably a very busy student. With so many demands on your time, your to-do list can seem impossible to manage. In the middle of all this, you may also feel as if you’re burnt out, missing deadlines, and submitting lower-quality work than you’d like. Remember, this doesn’t reflect on your worth as an academic or person; it simply means you’re human, and that’s more than okay. We’ve all been there.
That’s where strategic productivity and prioritization come in! Prioritization is the process of selecting your most important activities and working on them until completion. You then deal with your less critical activities later. Prioritization as a practice can help you:
- Focus on tasks that will have the heaviest impact on your admissions chances.
- Ensure that time-sensitive tasks, such as recommendation letters or FAFSA forms, are completed first.
- Lower your stress by breaking down the process into manageable steps.
- Improve the quality of your work by allowing strategic time for editing, proofreading, and reflection.
As the saying goes, “work smarter, not harder.” That is precisely what prioritization achieves! Being able to focus on items with the highest impact can help you to complete your applications with ease and boost your confidence in the process. It’s a relief to know that you’re focusing on what truly matters.
Need proof? Hear from an Empowerly student how they were able to tackle the admissions process head-on when they were able to implement a plan of action to help make the process easier:
Now that we have a better idea of what it means to prioritize your tasks strategically, let’s take a look at how you can apply this to the mountain of college admissions tasks facing you.
Step-by-step: how you should prioritize your application tasks
1. Make a master task list.
First and foremost, before you dive straight into the nitty-gritty, create a master task list. This playbook will be your comprehensive outline of everything you need to complete before your deadlines, including application forms, standardized tests, and other documents with deadlines. Your master list will enable you to visualize what you have already accomplished and what you still have to do, giving a sense of control and structure in the midst of a busy time.
Here is a list of possible tasks to include on your master list:
- Your college essay and supplemental essay drafts
- Requesting recommendation letters
- Sending standardized test scores (if required)
- Filling out application forms
- Financial aid applications (FAFSA, CSS Profile, scholarships)
- Portfolio or audition materials (if applicable)
- High school transcripts
- Adding additional extracurricular activities
| Task Type | Priority Level | Deadline Type |
| Personal Statement | High | School-specific |
| Supplemental Essays | High | Rolling or fixed |
| Recommendation Requests | High | 2–4 weeks before due |
| FAFSA / CSS Profile | Medium–High | Federal/School set |
| Transcript Requests | Medium | School registrar lead-time |
| Portfolio / Auditions | High (if applicable) | Early due dates |
| Final Edits / Proofreading | Important | 3–5 days pre-submit |
Pro tip: Write your master list down in a spreadsheet or a checklist app to help track your progress and visualize your accomplishments. This will help you see what you’ve already achieved, motivating you to continue working through your list until all the items you need to finish are complete!
2. Identify high-impact tasks
Now that you have a master list, it’s time to identify your highest-impact tasks that you still have to accomplish. While you might be tempted to tackle everything in front of you, not all application materials carry the same weight in admissions decisions. When you’re running out of time before the deadline, use your energy wisely instead and focus on what matters most!
For instance, here are some top-priority items you should choose to work on as they will have the most significant impact:
Essays and personal statements
Your essays should be at the highest priority place in your list for a few reasons (unless you’ve already finished them). First and foremost, they are the most in your control—your essays are answers to a series of prompts, and how you choose to answer them is up to you. These pieces should be considered carefully. They offer admissions officers a unique understanding of your identity as both a student and an individual, highlighting why you are a strong candidate for your chosen schools. Therefore, make these a high (or highest) priority item as you work through your admissions tasks to give yourself the best chance at writing your best quality work.
Pro tip: Even if you’re pressed for time, make sure to have someone read your essays once or twice before submitting. This helps catch mistakes and ensures you’re answering the prompts correctly!
Letters of recommendation
Another essential part of your applications is your recommendation letters. These written statements from teachers or mentors support your character, skills, and potential as an addition to your application.
Receiving recommendation letters can be among the more time-consuming aspects of the college application process, as you need to ask your teachers or mentors for them at some point during high school. Since you can’t control how long teachers will take to complete them (and many of them are balancing multiple requests), be sure to request your letters early and follow up consistently and politely as deadlines approach.
Test scores & transcripts
Ensuring your test scores and transcripts are organized is another key part of the admissions process. If you’ve already completed your standardized tests and are prepared to submit your scores to your chosen universities, be sure to research official procedures for sending scores and complete those steps as soon as you can. On the other hand, if you plan to retake the exams, focus on doing your best on the upcoming test and remember to send your official scores and transcripts before the application deadlines.
3. Break tasks into manageable chunks
Another beneficial practice that can make all the difference when you’re short on time is breaking up tasks into much more manageable chunks. Tackling the entire application in a short period can feel intimidating, especially when you have many tasks to do and not much time. On the other hand, breaking your applications into smaller, actionable steps can make them easier to complete mentally and help you submit your best work.
For instance, here is a 2-week rescue plan example if you find yourself falling a bit behind in your prep schedule:
- Day 1–2: Finalize college list + request rec letters
- Day 3–5: Draft main Common App essay
- Day 6–7: Draft top 3 supplemental essays
- Day 8–9: Revise main essay + 2 supplements
- Day 10: Gather transcript/test score logistics
- Day 11–12: Finish final essays + submit applications
- Day 13–14: Complete financial aid forms (FAFSA/CSS)
Pro tip: Utilize time-blocking techniques, such as the Pomodoro method, to help you stay motivated throughout the process. Start by assigning hours to tackle tasks at hand. Then, set up a Pomodoro session with short, focused bursts (such as 25–50 minutes with a 5-minute break) to help increase productivity and accomplish more in significantly less time.
4. Handle multiple applications at once
Another common barrier to managing all the college admissions tasks you face is completing applications for multiple universities. Most schools now use a common application, such as the Common App or Coalition App, but some schools you might be applying to have their own portal or submission process. That’s where smart batching can help you.
Smart batching is the process of gathering like materials, such as essay prompts or submitting transcripts, and completing them together. You can break these batches up into different days, helping alleviate the overwhelming feeling you might get if you tackle one application at a time. This way, you can break up the tasks into much more manageable steps without overwhelming yourself!
For instance, try this tactic:
- Identify common themes (e.g., community, leadership, failure)
- Write 2–3 adaptable “core” paragraphs
- Plug and tailor to specific school prompts
Result: You save time while maintaining quality and personal voice.
Pro tip: Don’t try to “perfect” one school’s application before starting others. A consistent, high-quality effort across all schools is better than obsessing over a single essay, so make sure you time your tasks right and take breaks!
5. Manage stress and avoid burnout
There’s no doubt that procrastination is a way of coping with too much stress. It’s our way of trying to avoid the difficult things as much as possible, likely due to burnout and anxiety of the task at hand, but unfortunately, it leads to even more stress than we could’ve wanted.
Ready to make a change? Instead, try tackling your applications with a plan to help make the process more enjoyable and avoid burnout. Try these strategies:
- Take short breaks during tasks to refresh focus. This is an excellent opportunity to rely on the Pomodoro technique—use this time to stand up and stretch, get yourself some water, or even break up your thinking with something you enjoy, like playing a game or reading.
- Use breathing exercises or quick walks to reduce tension. Try using the box breath method to help alleviate anxiety and increase focus!
- Maintain your basic self-care routine by drinking enough water, eating a balanced diet (try to stay away from too much caffeine!), and getting good sleep.
- Focus on progress, not perfection—sometimes done is better than perfect. Aim to do your best in your applications, but don’t spend too much time worrying about every little detail if time isn’t on your side.
6. Celebrate small wins
Finally, be proud of yourself! You’ve come a long way in your academic journey, and you should feel accomplished as you complete all the tasks to reach this monumental moment. To help you stay strong while completing your applications effectively, be sure to treat yourself well. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant. Still, science shows that rewarding yourself while tackling any enormous task can help fuel self-efficacy and build resilience to stress, further improving your ability to handle challenging tasks in the future.
Here are some easy and fun ways to treat yourself as you accomplish each task:
- Going shopping for a small treat
- Hang out with friends
- Enjoy a delicious snack
- Watch a favorite movie or show
- Spend time on a hobby you love
- Go for a walk in nature
- Take a day off to rest and relax
Final thoughts: Keep focused and stay strategic
Applying to college is hard, especially when time is tight. But by putting together a toolbox of different techniques for your prep, you’ll knock out your to-do list with ease in no time.
If you need more support, our team has your back! Empowerly’s team of admissions experts is here to support you through your admissions applications, even when time is short. Book a consultation today to learn more and let us help you build a path to your best-fit university.
