College Decision Day: Avoid making these application mistakes
College application stress? Know all the common mistakes that you should avoid to boost your chances of getting into your dream college.
Applying to your dream college could be stressful, but being mindful of the commonly made mistakes will make the process easier for you. Admission officers have to go through hundreds of applications every year and a few mistakes in your application might put you at risk. We have listed down some common mistakes to avoid while applying to your dream college.
Read the directions carefully
The students must read the instructions to fill out the application properly to understand what the college is asking for in the application. “In some instances, students aren't filling out all the data on the application. They're leaving blanks, so they're not necessarily answering all the questions.” shared Mike Perry, the executive director of admission at Florida Institute of Technology, with US News & World Report.
Perry also added that when students fail to miss out the crucial information, the gaps create a partial image of the students. He also asked the students to fill out the optional information in the application, because if the school is asking for it, it is wise to provide it beforehand.
Parents should not take the lead
Admission officials suggest that parents should only be engaged with the process of their ward instead of writing the essays, filling out the applications, or being the voicebox of the child. There should be limited involvement of the parents in between the student’s and college authority’s communications.
Carlos Jiménez, the CEO of nonprofit admissions consulting firm Peak Education, told US News & World Report that parents should fix a time each week with their child to check in on the process of applications rather than daily updates.
Don’t make a lengthy resume
Most colleges don’t require a resume, but some ask for optional data like projects or achievements. While submitting the resume, it is crucial to stick to a simple design and should have more of the latest achievements than the first ones. Students should aim for a 2-page resume instead of a lengthy one.
Don’t submit applications before proofreading
Students should always cross-check the information being submitted in their applications before turning them in. Things like spelling checks, percentages, and other important information that could be misspelt. Students should go through the application at least once after filling it up themselves.
Don’t wait until the last minute to apply
Students should not procrastinate and push the application fill-up work until the eleventh hour. Last-minute submissions can be stressful for the applicant and they could also be subject to making mistakes in the process.
Don’t reuse essays for every application
College admission officers go through hundreds of essays during the process and they can quickly tell when an applicant is reusing or recycling a topic in an essay. Using the same essay for multiple applications or giving the same ideas can lower your chances of bagging the college. It is crucial to come up with new and original ideas every time, which will eventually highlight the student’s ability to think creatively and come up with their original ideas.
Don't add too many extracurricular activities
Admission officers like to see students involved in extracurricular activities, but joining clubs just to boost a resume and not do anything for the club isn’t the way to bypass the system. Students need to engage in activities they are interested in instead of adding uncountable clubs in their resumes that they haven’t even been involved in.
