Biggest Mistakes To Avoid On Your College Applications
College application season is already here!
As you start applying, you must know some of the biggest mistakes to avoid to increase your chances of getting admitted!
These are some of the common ones I have seen during undergrad apps and even some grad school ones.
1. Not researching colleges thoroughly.
The colleges that you apply to should not be picked at random. Dedicating time to researching programs, majors, and what each school offers is so important. This way, you know what you want to get out of going to that specific college.
My advice is to write down notes about what each school offers. Then, depending on your acceptances, it’ll be easier to narrow down which one fits you.
2. Not asking for letters of recommendation earlier.
Recommendation letters allow the college admissions committee to get insight into who you are apart from your classes and GPA. This information usually tells a lot about an applicant’s character, strengths, and weaknesses. Additionally, letters of recommendation don’t just happen in seconds. It is essential to give those who are writing these for you plenty of time.
3. Only applying to one college
This is something to avoid absolutely. Applying to one college is not worth it because you automatically limit your options. Additionally, if you get waitlisted or rejected, you don’t have any other school to rely on.
However, since college apps are expensive, getting fee waivers or applying to colleges that don’t have a fee is possible.
Also, if you are applying to lower than 4/5 colleges, apply to mainly safety schools.
4. Not applying for scholarships.
College tuition can quickly go into the five figures and beyond. It is not a joke when I say this is a heavy investment in your education and future career.
Therefore applying for scholarships is necessary. Tons of scholarships go unawarded each year because students just don’t apply to them.
A few places to get scholarships are your local community and looking online (such as googling some). It’s as simple as it sounds. Plus, not all scholarships require essays, so that it won’t take much time or effort.
5. Doing your college essays last minute.
College essays allow the admissions committee to gain insight into your writing skills and give another personal perspective on who you are apart from academic statistics. It could also be the factor that wins over the university and give you the acceptance.
So, it is vital to give time to your essays. You are also likely to write more than one essay so it’s better to allot more time to it.
A tip is to give yourself small deadlines and write a few drafts for your writing.
6. Only applying to IVY Leagues/Prestigious colleges.
If you apply to only IVY leagues and prestigious colleges, you limit your college pool by a lot. There are so many amazing schools out there that don’t have these two labels.
Not to mention, these colleges tend to be highly competitive with extremely low acceptance rates. The chances are that the applicants applying all have high academic achievements.
Now I am not saying don’t apply to any, but apply to a diverse amount of colleges.
7. Comparing yourself to others.
I feel like so many students go through this, including myself. When applying to college, try to focus on your goals and what you want to achieve rather than looking at what others are doing. Unfortunately, many students end up competing with each other, but that should not be the case.
At the end of the day, you are going to college for your future, so do what is best for you!
College applications are not an easy process to complete. But this blog and my other blog posts are meant to make that journey a little easier!