A few weeks ago we outlined some of the most common college
admissions mistakes and how you can avoid them.
In part II of this series, we will outline a few more mistakes that can
be detrimental to your applications.
Remember, if you take your time and do things right, applying to college
doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems.
You should begin your applications well before the deadlines and never
leave anything to the last minute.
Here are a few additional application and admissions
mistakes to avoid:
Asking the Wrong
People for Letters of Recommendation:
Colleges typically ask for 1-3 letters of recommendation. In most cases, they want you to ask your
academic teachers. They want to know
about your character and about your performance in the classroom. The best teachers to ask are those who you’ve
had for more than one year and in more than one subject. It’s also great to ask a teacher who you’ve
had in a subject closely related to your intended major (some colleges and/or
programs actually will require this). Do
not ask a teacher that you had back in 9th grade that you haven’t
spoken to since, even if you got an A in the class and they loved you back
then. They don’t know you well anymore –
they know you as a 9th grader.
If you know someone famous, say the governor of your state is your
uncle’s girlfriend’s brother’s best friend, don’t be tempted to have them write
you a letter. Typically, admissions
officers don’t like this. They really
just want someone that truly knows you well, can speak to your character, and that
has detailed evidence and personal knowledge of how you work as a student.
Forgetting to Send
Test Scores: Don’t forget that sending your test scores to your prospective
colleges is your responsibility. This is
done separately from the application. If
you have SAT, SAT Subject Tests, or AP scores to submit, you send your scores
through CollegeBoard.org. If you have
ACT scores to submit, you will do this through ACT.org. This is a very important part of the
application process; don’t assume that your guidance counselor or someone else
will submit your scores on your behalf. Look
into the testing policies of your potential schools. Most schools want you to submit all of your
test scores and will only take into consideration your highest ones. Additionally, some schools will require SAT
Subject Tests and some won’t. Make sure
you know the exact testing policy of your colleges.
Applying Early
Decision When It’s Not The Right Choice:
Be careful, here. Don’t apply
Early Decision only because you think it will be your ticket for
admission. Early Decision is a binding agreement
that must be taken seriously. If you are
accepted through an Early Decision agreement, you are legally required to
attend the college. Typically, schools
that offer acceptance through Early Decision will not give out generous
financial aid packages because they know that you are obligated to attend. And, you are unable to compare financial aid
offers from other schools before making your decision. Also, many students will change their minds
about their college preferences throughout the process as they do more research
and go on visits. For these reasons, we
typically do not recommend Early Decision.
Not Proof Reading
Application & Essay: The
revision process (of both the application and the essay) is a critical part of
the application process. Spelling and
grammar mistakes do not belong anywhere on your application. It’s a huge pet peeve of admissions reps
reading your application. Steer clear of
any text-lingo, too. It can be habit
when you are used to texting, but it has no place on your college
applications. Ask someone with a fresh
set of eyes to proof read both your application and your essay before you
submit.
Rely on Rankings in
Magazines: Do not confuse college
rankings with quality. Just because a
magazine says that a particular college is number one on their list does not
mean that it’s a good fit for you. You
may even find that the college of your dreams is ranked number 1 or number 10
or not at all depending on which list you’re looking at. Colleges can be ranked very differently on
different lists due to the different criteria used, not the actual characteristics
of the school itself. Ultimately, be
careful. College rankings can be a good
starting point for researching different colleges and can even help you to
discover schools that you haven’t heard of.
However, make sure not to confuse rankings and/or selectivity with
quality. You need to do your research
and spend some time on campus to decide if it’s right for you.
Remember, the more you know about the process and the more
research you do, the better off you’ll be. Using tools like our Admissions Assistance
component or our Student Positioning component can make the process a breeze
and really help to eliminate unnecessary stress. Take our advice here and
you’ll be well on your way to admission as your top choice college. Until next
time, best of success!
About Smart Track™
Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families
with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and
financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key
components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families
can afford to send them there.
About the
author: Laura Guarino is
the Student Services Coordinator with the College
Resource Center, LLC. Laura has a Bachelor’s degree in Human
Development from Boston College
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