Why You Shouldn’t Wait Until the Last Minute to Complete Your College Applications

10Dec
by Sanjay Sabarwal

Let’s face it, procrastination is a rite of passage for many students, and while it’s frequently done before exams, doing your college application at the last minute creates a greater chance of not getting into the school of your choice. Too often, people assume that college admission committees only look at grades and test scores, and perhaps a few extracurricular activities. The reality is that most, if not all, applications are looked at as a whole. An admissions committee person not only wants the best students, they want well rounded people who can benefit from their learning environment, which means that the personal statement or any area where you have a chance to showcase your personality is an area that you should not wait to do at the last minute. 

Sure, there are some parts that can be filled out at any time such as biographical data and schools attended, but areas such as a personal statement or open ended questions are not places you should procrastinate on. Not only are you not putting in your best work, you may end up showcasing sloppiness if there are grammatical or typographical errors. Personal statements are perhaps one of the best ways you can “speak” to the admission committee. It takes practice and time to be clear, concise, and impactful. More than anything else, it is extremely important to have multiple pairs of eyes on your application.

Treating your application as if it’s a newspaper or a public facing document not only forces you to take your time, but can support you in making an application that is not only impressive, but one that allows the application committee to know you better. If you decide to pull an all-nighter or give yourself only a few days to complete the application, you are creating unnecessary stress. How does one eat an elephant? One piece at a time. I truly believe that giving yourself time in each section of the application will set you up to be seen as the student you wish the committee to know.

I admit it. I became tempted to procrastinate, and the real reason was my fear. Fear of not being good enough, of making mistakes, of not being taken seriously. Yet, what truly supported me was reaching out to loved ones, teachers and colleagues who were willing to read and critique my application. Some of the feedback was hard to take, but invaluable. If I had waited until the last minute, there is no way I would have presented the best version of me to the admission committee. So in a nutshell, don’t wait until the last minute!  

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Sanjay Sabarwal

Coming from a long history of participating in community service, Sanjay got involved in the legal field to continue his service to others. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in English and Political Science, Sanjay took a year off to do Americorps, where he taught English in Lexington, Kentucky at an underserved school. Sanjay has continued to display his passion for improving the lives of others throughout his professional career. He currently volunteers to speak at schools through the Youth Business Alliance Program and participates in giving out food to the homeless in Stanton, California with the Illumination Foundation. Sanjay truly believe that clients deserve to feel heard and taken care of and maintains this value throughout his work as an attorney. Sanjay Sabarwal focuses his practice in the areas of Employment Law, Family Law and Personal Injury Law. In addition to his current practice focus, Mr. Sabarwal has experience in Business Law, Wage Compensation, Partnership Disputes and Mediation. Mr. Sabarwal has been the Co-Owner and House Counsel for Ziba Beauty for the past 15 years, where he is familiar with all business and legal aspects of running a chain of 14 Store Locations. Mr. Sabarwal is a member of the American Bar Association, Los Angeles Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association and Orange County Bar Association. He also serves on the Advisory Board for Youth Business Alliance, which connects entrepreneurs to speak at underserved schools in Los Angeles County. He is also a board member for the Artesia Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Sabarwal is admitted to practice at all California State Courts.

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