It’s November, and we are starting down the home stretch of the college application season. That’s right, final deadlines are looming. If you didn’t apply Early Action or Early Decision using the Common Application, deadlines vary somewhat over the next few months. Although your first instinct might be to panic, it’s important to keep a level head. You are not the only one in this position; many high school seniors across the country are in the same situation!
The key to success is to focus your time on your college applications. The Common Application can be fairly straightforward, but leaving any portion until the last minute will result in a more rushed effort – and likely a sloppy result. Here are a few tips to help you manage your applications in the upcoming weeks.
- Allow yourself time to write
Regardless of which application you are completing, thoughtful, well-crafted essays evolve through multiple drafts and careful revisions. For a college that doesn’t require a supplemental essay, those 650 words in the personal statement are your sole opportunity to breathe life and personality into an electronic file. This is your chance to convey who you are and what is important to you. Don’t miss this opportunity! If you are stumped by how to begin, take a look at my blog post with Tips for Answering Common Application Essay Prompts.
- Think about your application from an outsider’s perspective
Is all of your data clear? Which aspects of your life experience and aspirations have you communicated? Is anything significant missing? Have you explained what ABCD means and your role in the ABCD organization in the extracurricular section? Keep the following in mind: you are limited to 10 entries with the following character limits (including spaces!): 50 characters per position/leadership description, 100 characters per organization name, and 150 characters per activity and role description. Utilize the position/leadership area to include a brief description of your activity so you will have more space available to describe what you did in the activity and role section. With each entry, consider how you can demonstrate meaningful impact. Double check to make sure you didn’t omit any important information. And remember to list your most impressive activities towards the top. If you feel the space provided was inadequate to communicate your involvement in a particular activity, consider using the Additional Information section to elaborate but keep your explanation succinct (this is not the place for another essay).
- Letters of recommendation
Take the extra minute to locate your counselor’s contact information and confirm your GPA and class rank. Make sure everything from your high school is in order. Your counselor and teachers can add value to your application by providing their perspective on your performance and abilities. If you have not already done so, now is the time to ask teachers about letters of recommendation.
- Proofread
Don’t skip this step. Anytime you enter text directly online it leaves room for mistakes. Consider writing even your short answers in a word processing program. Then edit them and your personal statement yourself or ask a parent or teacher to read over your writing for you. Next, copy and paste the text into the appropriate fields. Finally, preview and review your final application before submission to ensure that everything looks the way you expect.
- Schools and scores
Although some schools are test optional, if you decide to send your SAT/ACT scores, review the list of schools you plan to apply to and compare your numbers with the Freshman Profile information for each school. Make sure you have a balance of options:
- Reach – your GPA and SAT/ACT scores are slightly below the average range for students admitted to the school last year.
- Good chances – your GPA and SAT/ACT scores are comparable to the average range for students admitted to the school last year.
- Likely to be admitted – your GPA and SAT/ACT scores are above the average range for students admitted to the school last year.
Although these numbers make up only a portion of your overall application, they are a starting point for Admission Committee members and provide a place to begin evaluation. Other factors taken into consideration might include demonstrated leadership, unusual circumstances, extracurricular involvement, demographic information, alumni ties, and outstanding athletic/musical/academic talents.
- Uploading and submitting takes time
Don’t wait until the last possible minute. Unexpected setbacks may occur in your personal life. Servers slow down when lots of students are trying to submit work. Browsers crash. Technical glitches happen. Sometimes, colleges will cut you some slack. Sometimes they won’t. Don’t depend on it. Your stress level will be high enough without these extra challenges. Finish early.
Need help meeting those deadlines? It’s not too late to apply to your dream program. Check out our Common Application Package for expert guidance and advice. Our professional admissions consultants know just what it takes to create an outstanding application that will get you ACCEPTED!
Marie Todd has been involved in college admissions for over twenty years. Marie has both counseled applicants to top colleges and evaluated 5000+ applications for the University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science and the Arts; College of Engineering; School of Kinesiology; School of Nursing; and Taubman College of Architecture. Want Marie to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch with Marie Todd.
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