There are lots of good ways to improve your college applications. Seek out good advice, apply to the right colleges, present yourself proudly and honestly, to name a few.

But one thing that I have never see improve a college application—pressure, especially that of an impending deadline.

We’ve worked with thousands of students at Collegewise since 1999. Most take our advice and complete their work on time. Since our approach is to do everything early, they get to relax and celebrate, usually before Thanksgiving, knowing that their applications have been submitted weeks—or even months—before the deadlines.

But there are always a few students who wait, who just can’t seem to get the work done until the deadline is bearing down on them. And I can’t recall a time that this approach led to better applications, essays, or outcomes. Waiting also inevitably leads to anxiety and regret.

Seniors, your college application deadlines for most schools are months away. You’ve got plenty of time. There’s no pressure, no fear of not finishing in time, no last-minute sense of urgency.

That’s why now is the best time to start.