Applicants always have questions. And their questions are always good ones. The FAQ page of this website isn’t nearly long enough to include all of them. So here are some of the overflow.
Q: Is it too early to start writing my essays?
A: Yes, and no. Every year my phone rings earlier and earlier with parents of applicants wanting their kids to start (and finish!) the essays before they return to school in August. I already have 10-plus applicants who feel this way.
The new prompts for the Common Application Essay have already been released. They’ve been tweaked, but are essentially the same as in previous years. So, yes, if you want to start the Common Application Essay there is no harm in doing so. But also no, because we still aren’t sure if the individual school supplements will remain the same or will be changed. Those essays generally aren’t released until August.
So bottom line is: get the main essay out of the way. Then use the rest of the spring and summer to get ready to tackle the supplements for when they’re released in August.