Rushed, last-minute applications often have mistakes and omissions that could knock you out of the running for your favorite colleges. Aim to submit an error-free, signed, dated application several weeks before each school's official deadline. Here are some nuts-and-bolts tips to help you complete your applications correctly—and with a lot less stress.
Get organized
Let’s say that your research is done and you are applying to six chosen colleges. Carefully read each school's application, confirm its application deadline, and note all admissions requirements and fees. Sit down with a calendar and create a master to-do list that includes all your target schools. Assign a date and deadline for each task to ensure your applications are completed and received on time. To minimize confusion and mix-ups, check off each task as you complete it—including those all-important confirmations that each college has received your application.
Treat it like a part-time job
Allow plenty of time for getting your forms, verifying that your transcripts are accurate, writing essays, obtaining letters of recommendation, and completing other tasks. Prepare a complete list of your extracurricular activities, any paid or unpaid work or internships, and relevant non-school activities that you can selectively reference when working on your applications. Choose a recommender who knows you as a student and a person, and be sure that individual has enough time to write a recommendation. Keep copies of all documents you submit. Organize your information in a file folder, box, or cabinet.
Follow each application's instructions
Student applicants who ignore instructions; skip entire sections and questions; or submit sloppy, inaccurate, incomplete, or late applications are often the first to be rejected. Do any of your targeted schools have rolling admissions? If so, submitting an application early could significantly boost your chances. Be sure to complete each question and space—write “not applicable” or a dash to indicate that you read the sentence and it doesn’t apply to you.
One advantage of online applications is that many won’t allow you to proceed until you complete each question. Using an online application? Don’t forget to hit SUBMIT—and be sure to get confirmation of receipt. Don’t laugh. Smarter people than you have messed this up.
Ask for help proofreading
Enlist others to help you edit and proofread your application and essays for tone and technical errors (misspellings, grammar, and punctuation). Even professional writers need editors. While it's smart to get advice, it's crucial that your application is your work and reflects your voice.
Multi-school applications save time
Over 10% of the nation’s 4,000 colleges participate in multi-school applications programs. Are any of your target schools among them? The Common App is the largest and lets you use one form to apply to 318 private and public colleges and universities. Check www.commonapp.org to see if your schools participate.
The Universal College Application was launched with 46 participating schools (check the list at www.universalcollegeapp.com) and features a single application without the Common App’s essay and teacher recommendation components. Similar multi-school application programs exist for Jesuit universities, 34 historically black colleges, and the state university systems in Texas and North Dakota.
Headquartered in Braintree, Mass., Nellie Mae, Massachusetts’ #1 provider of student loans, is ready with great information on getting into and paying for college. For more information, visit www.nelliemae.com.