I staggered my kids. Sophie was four years old when Max was born. Max was two days shy of his third birthday when Dotsie Bea was born. There is a seven-year age gap between Sophie and Dotsie Bea, which meant Sophie was a second mom to her. I needed all the help I could get.
I always admired the parents who had all of their kids consecutively, in a short period of time, one right after the other. But I would have been a bigger mess than I already was if I did that. So, staggering worked for us.
The staggering approach works well in all of life's chapters.
Earlier this week, I was speaking to a mom who felt overwhelmed by all the applications her child needed to complete and submit. In order to calm her fears, I said, "Let's stagger those applications. It will make things more manageable."
Ahh, that word, "stagger," works wonders. The mom took a deep breath and said, "Yes, my child can do that."
Staggering applications means taking one's time. Work on one application. Submit it when it's ready. Then tackle another application when the time is right.
The students who fill out every last application and write every single essay (yes, there are a lot of essays!) in a short period of time in order to submit their applications all at once are stressed beyond belief. They struggle with staying focused. Their essays are rushed. And, their schoolwork and mental health get put on the back burner.
RELATED READING: 5 Ways to Avoid Unnecessary Stress in the Admissions Process
High school seniors can start with a Rolling Admissions application right now. The colleges that have a Rolling Admissions program usually have a very straightforward application with few requirements. It's an easy application to do and submit. And, it can be done in a few hours or less. It feels so good to send off your first application. You could have an acceptance in hand in a few weeks!
Then begin working on your Early Decision application, if you have one. This is your first choice. You're still fresh and motivated to do a great job. No need to submit it months in advance, though. Unlike Rolling Admissions, colleges with set deadlines typically don't start reading applications until after the deadline has passed. This gives you time to perfect that Early Decision application before you submit it.
Next, tackle those Early Action applications. Do as many as you can. If you don't get them all done by the deadline, you can apply Regular Decision to those schools.
By mid-December, you should have some admissions decisions. Take time to decide what other applications you need to do. If you were admitted to your Early Decision choice, you're done! If you got admitted to some colleges through Rolling or Early Action that you love, you may not need to apply to as many Regular Decision colleges as you thought. Over winter break, work on those last remaining applications. It will all get done.
READ MORE: Filling Out College Applications? Do This First
Staggering applications is like staggering a to-do list. Just like high school seniors, I have a long to-do list right now given all the upcoming admissions deadlines. But I know it will all get done as long as I stagger the work I need to do.
I look at where my three kids are right now. A college freshman. A high school freshman. A brand new middle-schooler. With their staggered birth order, I usually don't have to worry about everything hitting all at once. But this school year, I try my best to stagger when I talk to them and what I need to do for them each day. It makes my life as a mom a little more manageable. Staggering is my "mom hack" and it can be yours too.
