Should students begin writing boarding school essays before portals open?

Yes. The strongest boarding school essays are drafted during the summer before application portals open. Students have more emotional bandwidth when they are not juggling schoolwork, sports, or extracurricular commitments. Beginning early gives them the chance to reflect on meaningful experiences, identify their strengths, and articulate why they are a good fit for specific schools. Early drafting also allows time for multiple rounds of edits without pressure. When portals open in late summer or early fall, students who already have complete drafts can focus on refining their responses and preparing supplemental essays. Admissions officers can easily tell when essays are rushed or overly edited, so starting early truly makes a difference in quality and authenticity.