College admission is one of the toughest period of the year in which many students are competing with each other to be accepted in their dream college. There are many factors affecting the result of college application. Most of the times, it is due to the mistakes most students make during the process. And here are some of the most common mistakes often done by most students when they apply for college:
Not putting fascinating story in essays
Most students care more about how they write with the correct grammar, punctuation, and so on. They want to be perceived as high intelligent students with promising future. Many students thought college admission officers would care about their essays. The point is to make them care. College admission officers don’t really have high spirit or enthusiasm to wake up and read 300 essays a day. They want you to sweep them into your fascinating story, interesting anecdote, or expressive prose if you will. They don’t need to read essays but if you want your essay to be read and chosen, make it attention-grabbing and interesting.
Underestimate the academic nstandards of top colleges
Lots of people say that today’s colleges use holistic review on their admission process. It means they consider various factors to decide which students to be accepted such as grades, test scores, class rank, recommendations, extracurricular activities, and student’s background. However, most top colleges still consider high school GPA as their top factor in admission process. Therefore, do not force yourself to apply to top colleges if you have GPA under 3.0. You can instead find colleges that will be right for you. Keep in mind that names and rankings of colleges don’t really matter.
Underestimate the amount of time needed to complete application
It is pretty common for student to lose their chance on getting into their dream college just because they failed to meet the deadline. This is a mistake you should avoid at all cost. Keep in mind that college applications consists of various steps from writing supplemental essays, asking recommendation letters, sending transcripts and scores, and so on. These take time and you should not wait until last minute to complete the entire process. In fact, it is best to prepare it earlier and submit your application by October at the latest. It allows you enough time to write great essay and make plan B if needed.
Don’t let college applications determine your self worth
Rejection is unpleasant and being rejected from your dream college can be devastating. You are allowed to be sad and disappointed. However do not let it decide your self worth. Students rejected by colleges not because they are not smart or capable. Most of the times, it is because there is not enough room for all the students who are smart, capable, and kind. Hence, it is highly recommended that you apply to a range of colleges you’d like to attend, enjoy your life as college student and make the most of it.
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