College will impact the course of your next few years and shape the rest of your life, so applying to college is a big deal. With organization, planning, and avoiding the common pitfalls, you will be able to conquer your apps with ease. Once the initial fear wears off, excitement and anticipation for this new chapter will set in. Luckily, college apps are kinda our thing, so we have compiled some do’s and don’ts to help you succeed in the college app game.
Do…
Pay Attention To Deadlines
When it comes to app deadlines, the first thing we recommend is writing them all out. Once you do this, it is helpful to also establish due dates for yourself to ensure all of the components that go into the final product are completed on-time. For example, if an application requires an essay, set a due date for yourself for completing the first draft and all subsequent drafts (pro tip: it will probably take SEVERAL). If others are reviewing your essay or providing you letters of recommendation, be respectful of their time and ensure you provide them enough time to review or write the letters before the due date. Be sure to ask them how much lead time they need so you both are on the same page. In the college app process, you want to put your best foot forward, so begging for mercy when you missed a deadline is not a good look and typically won’t get you very far.
Clean up your social media and email address
Admissions counselors do have lives outside their jobs, and are typically pretty social media savvy. They can easily plug your name into Insta, Facebook, Twitter etc. and do some digging into your social media presence. Here’s some advice for cleaning up your social media for college. General word of advice, when posting to the internet, just be a kind human, and don’t let this be you.
Another word of advice is to create an email address that incorporates your first and last name to use in conjunction with your college applications. It allows your admissions counselor to easily identify you. You also don’t want to be the infamous applicant with “cutieboi6969@xyz.com” as your email address.
Keep everything in one spot
There are TONS of things to keep track of when applying to college. Organization can honestly be half the battle. Creating a centralized location for all college app materials makes the world of difference. I highly recommend google drive because it can be accessed from anywhere and you can invite collaborators. It also provides peace of mind in knowing that if your computer bites the dust all of your hard work will not be lost because it’s saved in the depths of the internet.
Proofread
Much like reading directions, we cannot overstate the importance of proofreading. I know…cue the eye rolling and head shaking. Something as small as missing a comma can make a huge difference. Punctuation saves lives, my friend. Here’s an example, “let’s eat Grandma vs. let’s eat, Grandma.” You get it. I write for a living and I still make silly mistakes, so I always have another set of eyes on anything I’ve written before submitting. We are all human after all…
Don’t…
Procrastinate
They say old habits die hard, so if you are a lifelong procrastinator, it’s time to turn over a new leaf. College apps can be huge timesuckers, so be sure to not to underestimate the time they will take. An admissions committee can tell the difference between an application that was thoughtfully crafted vs. the application that was thrown together last minute. Also, save yourself the stress that comes with doing things last minute.
Plagiarize
This should go without saying, but let me tell you a little story from my time as an admissions counselor. There was a couple, for the purpose of my story, we will call Jack and Jill who were both applying to XYZ University. Jill took tons of time to craft her resume and essay for her application. Jack did not do the same. He had access to Jill’s files and decided to switch a few things up about her application materials and submit them as his own. Jill found out about it and got very upset. She shared what happened with her mother. Jill’s mom ended up contacting the admissions office and revealing this situation. Needless to say he was not admitted and I could only imagine the drama that unfolded from there…It probably would have been caught regardless because many admissions offices also utilize a version of turnitin.com to scan for plagiarism in application materials.
Skip the instructions
You’ve made it this far in applying to college, so colleges assume you can follow very simple instructions. Please do not let something as simple as this keep you from being admitted to your dream college. It breaks my admissions counselor heart to tell you how many times I’ve seen that unfortunate scenario play out. Pleaseeeee do not let this happen to you.
…and finally
Don’t forget to be awesome!
You’ve worked so hard to get to this point, so be sure to give yourself the credit you deserve. All of your academic achievements will soon begin paying off. Once you’re done applying to college, be confident and trust the process of applying to college. You will end up where you are meant to be.