(Anna McGeady, a DHS senior, advises other teens applying to college to pace themselves by starting the college essay the summer before senior year. Photo by Deni Johnson)

This is the second in a two part series on The College Application.

Anna McGeady was smart when it came to applying to college.

Both a savvy student and consumer, she had explored which colleges she liked – and didn’t – well before the fall of her senior year. A good draft of her essay for the Common Application, an online form most colleges and universities now accept, was written over the summer, a process she said she enjoyed. And she carefully chose which schools she would apply to early action, knowing it would help alleviate her stress. That way she wouldn’t have to wait until the April 1 deadline of regular admissions. Early action is a non-binding application process with deadlines generally around November 1 and decisions often before Christmas. Once she heard back from her early action schools with multiple acceptances and knowing most other schools had standard deadlines of Jan. 15, she jumped back into the process to expand her options. “I immediately got to work,” said McGeady. “You kind of don’t have time to dwell.”

For Mikkel Linskey, the search for good colleges started the beginning of his junior year, though some of his classmates started sophomore year. Knowing his major helped narrow his field and made the choice of applying early decision non-negotiable.

“I knew I wanted to major in physical therapy, so I knew I had to apply early decision because the chances of getting in are very slim,” said Linskey. While he started much of his search on schedule, he does have one regret and bit of advice for younger students.

“I wish I’d started my essays over the summer, that was not a good thing,” said Linskey. “For those who are not the best at writing, start over the summer and you can still bring it into school to get help.”

In addition to working on his own, Linskey hired editors to help him with his writing, a cost he split with his parents. But he said if he had known the Duxbury High School English teachers were willing to help once he returned to school in the fall, he would have saved his money. His teacher Mark Brown proved to be a great resource.

The most important advice Linksey hopes to impart to younger students is to pay less attention to extracurricular activities and much more to classwork. His greatest takeaway from the college application process is that a student’s grade point average (GPA) is the most important determinant for college admissions.

“There are a lot of kids who think sports is number one, and I know a few who have gone to great schools for sports, but they’re the exceptions,” said Linskey. “A lot of kids as freshmen and sophomores don’t know the importance of a GPA or what your grades will do for you.”

Lisa Dembowski, head of guidance for Duxbury Schools, agreed. The higher a student’s GPA, the more options a student creates when it comes time to apply to college, and schools start calculating the GPA freshman year. It is the determining factor, not sports, community service, the plethora of extracurricular activities kids do or even the dreaded college essay.

“I don’t want to say (the essay) is overrated, but it stresses kids to the max,” said Dembowski. “The bottom line is the way admissions work is your GPA and your transcript are the first things they look at. The essay is supplementary. It’s a nice way to show something about yourself.”

Jack Guilfoile, who broke the process into manageable steps over many months, said his best advice for other students is to take advantage of the guidance department. And for those who have older siblings getting ready to take the college plunge, he strongly recommends going with them on college tours. He benefited not just from his own experience of shadowing an older sibling, but from his parents having gone through the process too.

“I’m the second child,” said Guilfoile. “It was kind of nice that they had gone through this before.”

Students should also remember that it’s not just about schools choosing them, but about students choosing a school. Dembowski recommends kids visit as many campuses as makes sense for their families and that if money or time is an issue, go online. Schools devote huge resources to their Web sites and can offer a tour in and of themselves with statistics, videos and testimonials. Also, Duxbury has a wealth of alums who’ve attended a plethora of colleges and Dembowski suggests contacting them to ask about the schools.

Once students and their families decide which school to attend, Dembowski urges them to celebrate it – even if it’s not a first choice.

“Where your child goes to school is more than just a bumper sticker on a car,” said Dembowski. “You need to celebrate that you’ve graduated high school and you’re going to college. That’s an accomplishment.”

Her last bit of advice? Students should enjoy the rest of senior year with friends and family. College will be here soon enough.

Correction: Anna McGeady was accepted to Babson College.