As the final year of high school commences for seniors, letters for colleges already begin to flood the mailboxes. As page after page of information floats into students? homes, they realize the urgency of their college applications.

According to California State University’s website (csumentor.edu), applicants wishing to apply for the next school year must apply by Nov. 30. Some universities have application due dates as soon as Nov. 1.

The site suggests that students file their applications earlier than the listed final day, drafting their applications when the deadline is posted in order to submit their application.

?I?m going to be sending in applications very soon,? Derek Wear, ?07, said. ?I want to send them in early and get it over with. Some of my friends last year had a hard time because they were rushing to get it all done.?

Students who graduated last year remember the effects of procrastination with college preparations.

?I definitely should?ve been more organized last year,? James Brown, ?06, said. ?I remember thinking I had tons of time, and before I knew it I was rushing to get everything done.?

Some students feel that preparing during their junior year helps organization.

?I?m already doing some reading and finding out everything I need to know,? Michael Bowen, ?08, said. ?That way, when next year comes around I can just get started right away instead of wasting time.?

Each university requires different deadlines. Students need to check each college?s information to educate themselves, and request an application to each university if wanted.

California State University, Fresno, is opening their doors for an open house on Oct. 28 at 8 A.M. for high school seniors and community college students. They are showcasing their new Student Recreation Center at the Savemart Center until 3 P.M.

Event registration and information is on Fresno State’s website at Come visit Fresno State This event is sponsored by the Office of University Outreach Services; they can be reached at 559-278-2048.

October to November is a crucial time for seniors and college preparedness.

?Right now is a big application time,? Jon Endicott, assistant principal, said. ?Seniors should be going online to fill out applications. If they have not taken the SAT, they should sign up immediately. If a student plans to attend a UC school, the UC subject test should also be taken immediately.?

According to the College Board website, a resource for college-bound students, high school seniors should narrow their choices to between five and ten colleges and speak with their counselor about their options.

After making their initial choices, students should then get an application and financial aid information from each. Discovering information about deadlines, due dates, recommendation requirements, and other materials is essential. Students should begin to collect recommendations and writing their application essays early.

For seniors wishing to apply to multiple colleges, the process of writing application after application can become a daunting process.

?It?s so time consuming to write so much of basically the same thing,? Sarah Bonnar, ?07, said. ?It gets boring, and it takes a long time. I?m going to be staring this month.?

The system known as the Common Application provides relief to such a repetitive task. The Common Application system allows for one application to be filled out and submitted to any 300 colleges that are members, including many east coast schools.

This timesaving application fills in the essentials only once, leaving only the individual school’s supplement page to be filled out.