How to Keep College Essay Files Organized
by Kathleen M.
One of the things you may not think too much about until it is too late is how to organize your computer files so that the most recent draft of your essay is clear. It is true that you could rely on the time/date stamp, but why risk it?
One suggestion is to open and save new folders in Google Docs or your laptop for each college you are applying to as well as the Common App essay. This YouTube video explains the process.
Once you know how to create folders, you will have to decide how to name the files in each folder. Do you want to name each draft with the date? Or a simple numbering system? Or another option?
Filename: CommonAppAug12
This option makes sense if you have one draft a day, but on some days, you will need to differentiate between them.
Filename: CommonApp Draft 2
This option is handy, as long as you keep track of the numbers correctly.
Filename: CommonAppJDAug12
This option where you insert your initials and the date are helpful if you are sending the doc to your essay mentor.
So if you have a folder system and decide on a naming convention, then you should be fine. Remember that some colleges will ask you to write multiple documents, naming each draft separately will help you keep track of all of them.
You might feel like you want to create one document and include all of the information in one place. I understand this impulse, but keep in mind:
- That you might want to save ideas from early drafts to use for different purposes and writing over a draft would eliminate that option.
- That you might be in a hurry to turn in an application essay, and you want to follow the instructions carefully – saving separate essays in the final moment before turning it in might be stressful.
Having a plan for organization to organize your college application essays will make the process a less stressful one. You will have one less thing to think about!
