If you’re unsure of the best strategies to follow for successful college applications, start by following these five immutable rules:
1. Follow directions.
You can avoid many common application mistakes by just following the directions. I know—this sounds like one of those obvious pieces of advice. But with the stress of college admissions and the pressure to present themselves well, many students neglect to follow the directions. Most college applications spell out exactly what the people who will read your application want you to do. The surest way to go application-awry is to ignore what they tell you or to decide that you have a better way.
2. Don’t send extra stuff unless you’re invited to.
Extra letter of rec? Samples of graded papers or art projects? A resume? If they don’t ask for extra stuff (often called “supplementary materials”), don’t send it. Or call the admissions office and ask for clarification. Extra, uninvited stuff rarely leads to extra special applications.
3. Deadline pressure affects application quality.
I’ve never heard a student say, “I’m so glad I waited until the last minute to do my applications.” Yes, there are some people who work well under pressure. And maybe you’ve done well completing assignments the night before they’re due. But these are your college applications, the presentation of who you are and what you’ve gotten done for three years of high school. They deserve a more thoughtful effort than a last-minute, whirlwind application session can provide.
4. Clarity beats quantity.
The human beings reading your application can’t remember an unlimited amount of information. So before you list everything you’ve ever done in high school, or compose an encyclopedic essay, ask yourself, “Am I being clear? Could someone who’s never met me really understand what I’m trying to say here?” Clarity is job one. Use the available space to clearly communicate who you are and how you’ve spent your time.
5. Seek advice in limited quantities.
You should seek college application advice from people you trust (your parents, counselor, the admissions officer at the school, etc.). But there is such a thing as too much advice from too many people. If you ask five people for feedback about your college essay, you’re likely to get conflicting messages that leave you more confused than well-advised. And a corollary: do the work yourself. Don’t ask your parents or college counselor or anyone else to fill out your application or hijack your essays. Advice from the right people? Yes. Too many advisors or people who do the work for you? Not so good.