On College Applications make sure that you watch out for the following:
1. Students do not read the directions carefully to make sure they understand what items are needed in order to complete their application. (Recommendation: Before beginning the application read through it for understanding.)
2. Students write the wrong social security number or use different numbers on different pieces of information. (Recommendation: Carefully copy your social security number from your card.)
3. Students use the wrong college address labels.
4. Students use the online application but fail to request information from their high school counselor.
5. Students have questionable remarks and photos of themselves on social network sites, like MySpace, FaceBook and others (a recent problem).
6. In the college essay students exceed the number of words required. Recommendation: If you need to write a 500 words essay it must be 500, not 500+. Colleges test your ability to communicate your thoughts with clarity and concision. They want to see that your writing flows and is methodical.
7. Students miss the application deadline. (Recommendation: After choosing which institutions you would like to apply to, write down the application deadline dates on a calendar or in a personal planner. Cross off the names of the colleges as you submit your application.)
8. Students send in application but do not send high school transcripts. (Recommendation: Make a check list of documents that will accompany your application.)
9. The student’s parent fills out the application. (Recommendation: You are the one seeking admission into college, not your parents. Therefore, you should be the one to complete the application.)
10. Students expect long list of activities to overshadow actual academic work. (Recommendation: Instead of joining an array of clubs, extensively participate in one or two activities. Admissions officers are not looking to see how many activities you sign up for as much as your role in each extracurricular.)
11. Students are careless in filling out the application and make typos, grammatical errors or have sloppy handwriting. (Recommendation: Illegibility/poor penmanship can create problems, especially handwritten essays. Do not handwrite essays unless the application specifically requests you to. Otherwise, type them on a computer and attach the printed page to your application. If your handwriting is poor, consider applying online.)
12. Some applications ask for County and/or Country. (Recommendation: Read carefully! Do not mix these up.)
13. Many students who have jobs do not mention them on applications. (Recommendation: Often, these jobs impact the time students have available for activities. Include this information to paint a full picture of your out-of-school activities.)
14. Students do not address the essay question / topic. (Recommendation: If you are not sure, ask your counselor for clarification.)
15. Students turn in essays with numerous misspellings and grammatical errors. (Recommendation: Proofread and ask your counselor or teacher to read it over. Remember that sometimes computers do not pick up errors that are spelled incorrectly.)
16. Students do not inform their high school counselor that they are applying to colleges x, y, and z. Students fail to mention the necessity of submitting required forms by the certain deadlines. (Recommendation: Tell your counselor which colleges you are applying to for admission.)
17. Students do not send SAT or ACTs, OR assume later test scores will automatically be sent to same institutions as indicated in earlier tests. (Recommendation: Each time taking the SAT or ACT, request the scores be sent to your institution of choice.)
18. Many colleges that use the Common Application also have supplements. Students forget to complete the supplement.
19. Students list e-mail address that are in bad taste or vulgar. (Recommendation: Be aware of the impression your e-mail address makes. Create a “professional” e-mail address for college and job applications. Offensive e-mail addresses make a bad impression.)
20. Students do not ask a teacher or advisor to review their application before submission. (Recommendation: After completing your application, ask your parent or your high school counselor to proofread it for you. Always have a fresh eye look at your application. Doing so will help eliminate the above mistakes.)
