Hi, Hannah! Thanks for the A2A!This is a pretty vague question, which lends itself to a very general answer. As others have mentioned, honestly and completely is the way to go on all applications.So Iu2019m going to go a little bit deeper. If you are applying to colleges that accept more than one type of application, itu2019s important for you to think carefully about which application you are going to use. Take a look at all the colleges you are applying to and see if you can economize anywhere. For example, Iu2019m working with a student who is applying to a number of colleges that take both the Common App and the Coalition App. She has some that only take Common App, so the best thing for her is to avoid the Coalition App, and focus on polishing her common app. If she wanted to apply to a school that only took the Coalition App, and did not have a special app all their own (many do, but you have to look for it), then she would have to complete both the Common App and the Coalition App.In terms of essays, even short answer essays, itu2019s better to type your essay into a separate document for editing (Google docs, Microsoft Word, whatever). Writing an essay is a long, laborious process, and the application platforms can time out after 15u201320 minutes, causing you to lose all your work. Trust me, thatu2019s a fate worse than death! Fancy editing, fonts, colors, etc. will not be preserved in your document, so donu2019t use those. DO use your spellchecker and grammar checker.When youu2019re done with your essay and have revised and edited it (preferably with a friend to help), then you will cut and paste the essay into the appropriate box on the application. Be sure to proofread before sending! Re-reading your essay on a different platform may give you fresh eyes to catch mistakes previously missed.The only other advice I have is: donu2019t wait until the last minute! I canu2019t tell you how many students I have who I donu2019t hear from for weeks and then the day before (or day of!) the deadline, suddenly they desperately need help with essays. Donu2019t do this to yourself. Panic is apparent on applications that are incomplete, poorly written, full of typos. And yes, the apps are time-stamped so they do know you submitted 60 seconds before the deadline.You can get started with your applications right now by creating your account and filling out as much information as you can. Be sure to save as you go along. You should be able to go back into the application at a later time to edit or elaborate on what youu2019ve already entered. Also, donu2019t wait until the last minute to ask for test scores or transcripts to be sent. You can send those even before you complete the application, so if youu2019re happy with your scores, send them now.