Avoid 7 Common Mistakes That Will Kill Your College Application

Avoid 7 Common Mistakes That Will Kill Your College Application

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Getting into college is harder than ever! There are more qualified applicants than ever before and U.S. colleges and universities are seeing record numbers of international applicants. When students apply for college, they are competing against the best applicants from the entire world for limited spaces!

College admissions officers tell us that the strength of the college application is the only way a school can decide between two equally qualified applicants. Students have only the pages of the application to convince college admissions officers why they deserve a place in the incoming freshman class.

College Application Training students know how to avoid 7 common mistakes that will kill your college application:

#1:Thinking of the personal statement as an essay, not as a personal marketing statement. Remember, these 500 words are the only opportunity you have to completely separate yourself from the rest of the competition. Think of it as a commercial or a movie trailer. Your job is to make the college admissions officers want to buy the product You!

#2:Failing to highlight your personal strengths and particular areas of interest. Many students undersell their accomplishments because they dont think the accomplishments are good enough. Or they do not want to seem like they are bragging. Anything that you have worked hard to achieve should be mentionedalong with your gratitude for your accomplishments.

#3:Failing to proactively address obvious weakness on your record. College admissions officers are looking for reasons to quickly eliminate applicants since it makes their job easier. If you dont proactively address your weaknesses, admissions officers will think that you dont see them as weaknesses, or that you dont care. Either way, you will immediately get put in the reject pile. By proactively addressing a weakness, you have a chance to show personal growth and maturity.

#4:Trying to fit yourself into a preconceived mold of a school. College admissions officers are looking to build a diverse and balanced freshman class. Be yourself and be honest about why you want to attend a particular school. Remember, there is no perfect candidate. If you try to be like everyone else at the school, why should you be admitted? Besides, you may just have that special something that the admissions officers are looking for. So dont hide it!

#5:Making basic mistakes such as misspellings and grammar errors. This is the easiest rejection for college admissions officers. A student who submits an application with mistakes must not care enough about getting in to that school. Make sure another person proofreads your application since computer programs often do not catch usage errors. And never forget to sign the application!

#6:Failing to meet deadlines and actively manage the application process. This includes both hard (external) deadlines for the application itself, and soft (internal) for each part of the application, such as requests for recommendations or transcripts. Dont wait until the last minute to complete the applications!

#7:Not creating a compelling story in your personal statement. This writing sample is different than your school assignments. If you structure your personal statement without a compelling hook, or reason for the admissions officer to read further, you risk getting lost in the crowd. Remember, college admissions officers read thousands of personal statements. What is the hook you use to interest the reader?

The successful students of College Application Training have learned how to avoid 7 common mistakes that will kill your college application.

College is harder than ever to get into. Increase your chances for success. Work with an expert! Receive a FREE consultation by calling 888-825-8228 or emailing info@collegeapptraining.com.

About the Author:
Chelsea M. Hackett has over 20 yrs experience with the college application process, and is Managing Director of College Application Training



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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