This week we welcome Robin Levinson, the content editor for CampusCompare.com, as our guest blogger. If you’re prone to procrastination, check out her college app tips now! Or later…

As college deadlines quickly approach, and you are one of those people inclined to wait until the last possible minute to send off your college applications, here are some tips for you to ace the essay, perfect the forms, and rock the recommendations in less than a week.

1. Stay organized: Gather all your forms for applications, letters of recommendation, and financial aid, and put them in one folder. That way, when you’re short on time, you’ll know where everything is.
2. Know your stats: Have your GPA, class rank, SAT or ACT scores, and address memorized. Also know what level of education your parents completed, and where their Alma Mater was. Not having to look up these common facts for each and every form will save you hours in the long run.
3. Kill two birds (or 10) with one stone: Use a common application form, like the Common Application or Universal College Application to apply to multiple schools with one form. To save even more time, apply online through the Common App or through the school itself.
4. Stick with what you know: When it comes to writing a personal essay, don’t pick a generic topic just because you think it will be impressive. Unless your topic has sincerely made a big impact on your life, writing the essay will be a drag. Although feeding the homeless is a wonderful activity, if you just did it to fulfill a volunteer requirement your essay will show that your heart just wasn’t in it. Pick something unique, something that gets you excited. If you find yourself going on a tangent about Italian food or getting into debates over politics, chances are these are the subjects that you will be able to write about articulately and quickly.

Even with these deadlines looming ahead, if you put your mind to it you can still send out a killer application. Just in the nick of time.

Does anyone have any other last-minute application ideas?

– Robin Levinson