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+---
+
+# starting applications too late
+
+*(common gotcha)*
+
+## what happened
+
+students think they have plenty of time, then realize in November that they have 12 supplemental essays due in 3 weeks. the essays come out rushed, generic, and full of errors.
+
+## why it's a gotcha
+
+college apps are a volume problem. the main essay is one thing, but supplements for 10+ schools can easily be 20-30 short essays. that's a lot of writing, and quality drops fast under time pressure.
+
+## the fix
+
+start writing supplements the summer before senior year. most prompts are recycled from previous years, so you can draft early even before the official prompts drop.
+
+## see also
+
+- [[naming-wrong-school-in-essay]] — a direct consequence of rushing
+- [[missing-fafsa-deadlines]] — more deadlines you'll miss if you're late
+- [[over-planning-trap]] — ironically, over-planning other things while neglecting apps
+- [[submitting-right-at-the-deadline]] — the endgame of starting late
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