{"id":1087,"date":"2026-08-05T18:20:32","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T18:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.class101.com\/waukesha-brookfieldwi\/?p=1087"},"modified":"2026-07-09T23:13:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T23:13:15","slug":"applications-are-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.class101.com\/waukesha-brookfieldwi\/2026\/08\/05\/applications-are-open\/","title":{"rendered":"Applications Are Open. What Should You Be Doing This Week?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At some point this week, most students will log into the Common Application for the first time and think, \u201cAlright, this is happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shift from planning to actually doing the work is real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I try to sort out pretty quickly when I meet with families in Waukesha, Milwaukee, Germantown, and the surrounding communities is whether that shift is actually moving things forward or just giving the feeling that it has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because opening the application doesn\u2019t really tell you much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What matters is what\u2019s actually happening once you\u2019re in there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easiest place to start is just getting information in. Basic sections, activities, background information. None of that requires a big decision, and it helps students get comfortable with how everything is set up. It also tends to build a little momentum, which is helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where things get more important is the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point, I\u2019m not looking for a list that can never change, but I do want it to be settled enough that the student understands where they\u2019re applying and why those schools are there. If the list is still moving around a lot, it makes the rest of the application feel less stable than it should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The essay is the other piece I\u2019m paying close attention to right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not expecting a finished draft. I am looking to see whether there is something real to work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some students have a draft that\u2019s at least pointed in the right direction. It needs work, but it\u2019s moving. Others are still trying to figure out what they want to write about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it\u2019s the second, that\u2019s where the time should go this week. It\u2019s a lot easier to sort that out now than it will be once school starts and everything else is back in the mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week isn\u2019t about having everything done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s about whether the process is actually moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a current senior in Brookfield, Pewaukee, Franklin, or nearby communities, it\u2019s worth taking a quick look at what \u201cstarting\u201d has actually looked like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is the application being filled in, or just opened?
Is the list clear enough to move forward?
Is the essay something they can build on, or something they\u2019re still trying to figure out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those answers tend to tell you pretty quickly how the rest of August is going to feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

College applications are open. A Brookfield college counselor explains what students should actually be doing this week to start the Common App the right way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":1088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-common-app"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nApplications Are Open. What Should You Be Doing This Week? - Class 101 Waukesha-Brookfield, WI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"College applications are open. 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