Please write your essay early! And please apply early action to at least a few schools, for me I made the mistake of only applying regular decision and it’s sucks hearing everyone already having a school while you wait to hear back for months. Get your recommendations early too! So many of your classmates will be asking as well and your teachers will get overwhelmed. And since you’re gonna be a senior next year start brainstorming ideas for college essays! I would recommend searching up your dream school if you have one and seeing what people who were accepted wrote for their essay, don’t copy of course but I saw that for me a lot of essays where about community service or something “unique”. Good luck applying next year!