10 Tips to Avoid College Application Mistakes
While you are working on college applications, a few basic steps can make the process go more smoothly.
Disable pop-up blockers and read the instructions before starting an application.
Don’t wait until the day before the deadline, as you will be more likely to rush and make careless mistakes, and an error on your birth date or social security number could cause problems in processing your application. In addition to increasing the likelihood of making mistakes, waiting until the day before a deadline means possible delays in submitting the application, as servers can become overloaded when thousands of students are trying to submit applications at the same time.
Save your work! Most applications time out for security, so don’t forget to save your work if you are going to take a break from the application. Some, like the Common App, save automatically. Be sure to use the application’s navigation buttons as you move through it, or you could lose information that has not yet been saved. If you accidentally use your browser’s back button when looking at an application, you could find yourself logged out of the application.
Use the preview button. The Common Application has a Preview button that enables you to see how the application will look when printed. Check that your short answer and activity descriptions are not cut off mid-sentence. You may need to rework your answers so that you conform to the character limits.
Once you have submitted the Common Application to a college, you cannot change it or resubmit it. But if you are applying to additional Common Application schools, you can continue working on the application making changes, editing your answers, and previewing the new version before submitting it to other colleges.
Proofread! Having someone proofread the application can help you catch mistakes before it goes to a college or university.
Check to make sure you’ve included your supplements and payment. Remember that submitting the application properly means submitting the application, any required supplements, like the writing supplement, and payment.
Don’t panic — and contact the admission office directly to find out what’s missing. One of the most stressful parts of the post-application period is when students are notified by an admission office that their file is incomplete. Please do not accuse the hard-working counselors or support staff at your high school of not sending your transcript. It can take several weeks for admission offices to add documents to an applicant’s file, and many colleges send these “incomplete file” notifications automatically. The documents are many times at the college or on the way. When in doubt, contact the admission office to find out what is missing.
Check the status of your application. Many colleges enable students to check the status of an application by logging into their account. Be sure to do that, and also check your e-mail regularly so that you don’t miss any important communication, such as a request to schedule an alumni interview.
Don’t forget to follow up with any additional requirements. If you will be sending SAT or ACT test scores, be sure to have an official copy sent if the college requires this. For colleges that require a midyear report, be sure to have your high school send that at the end of the first semester.