If you’re still polishing your Common Application for submission, you might benefit from our Guide to the Common Application, which you can get for free here. From the essay prompts, to the activity listing, to the additional information section, I think you’ll appreciate the insightful advice no matter where you’re applying to college.
When there’s nothing to fix
If you write a computer program and it doesn’t run correctly, something is wrong. There’s a fix to be done—you just have to identify it. Electronics, machinery, carpentry—the measure of whether or not they’re done right is whether or not they work well.
But not all college applications work that way.
If you applied in an early application program and were deferred or outright denied, you might be wondering what you did wrong. You might be looking critically at your application and second-guessing your approach, looking for what went wrong, especially if you now have other applications to submit. No sense repeating prior mistakes if you can avoid it. That’s not necessarily a bad instinct. But please remember that it’s also possible that you did nothing wrong at all, especially if you applied to highly-selective colleges.
Colleges that admit fewer than 20 or even 10 percent of their applicants are denying just about everybody. And many of those who get the bad news did absolutely nothing wrong. Their applications were strong. Their essays were compelling. Their grades and test scores and profiles were as good or even better as many of those admitted. That’s the reality of an admissions process where the very best applicants apply to the same very short list of schools, all of which have far, far more qualified applications than they could ever hope to admit. Some applicants have obvious shortcomings. But many more do not.
Did you work hard on your applications? Were you careful and deliberate, making sure to follow instructions and double-check for accuracy? And most importantly, were you proud of what you submitted? If so, there’s a very good chance that you did nothing wrong. Just because it didn’t work like you hoped it would doesn’t mean it was broken.
Sure, you can reevaluate what you did before. But stay open to the possibility that maybe there’s nothing to fix.
The second-to-last minute
“I’m not good at the last minute. It’s really fraught with risk and extra expense. I’m much better doing things the first minute instead.”
If you’re a senior who’s starting your holiday break with unfinished applications staring at you, the opportunity to complete the work in the first minute passed long ago. I know you’re not happy about it. I know you realized they were important and you wanted to start earlier. And now you’re here, wishing circumstances were different and that you’d gotten much further than you have. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that you’re not quite at the last minute, yet. You’re actually at the second-to-last minute. So if this sounds like your situation, (1) Don’t lament what’s happened (or not happened), and (2) Double down on your application efforts.
Regret isn’t a useful emotion for you right now. It will only sap both your energy and your creativity at the very time that you need your full reserves. You can’t change what happened before—you’re better served redirecting all that mental energy towards your applications.
Starting today, make applications your most important daily priority. You still have the opportunity to avoid the frantic scrambling to press the “Submit” button just before the deadline. And even more importantly, an earlier finish will mean there’s more of your holiday break to enjoy, application free.
The first minute may be gone, but the last isn’t here yet. So make the second-to-last minute count.
Spread the application love
If you don’t make the squad after spending all summer relentlessly focused on training for football tryouts, it’s certainly disappointing. But there is still plenty to feel good about. You went after something that was important to you. There are plenty of other opportunities still available to you. And as a bonus, you’re probably in pretty good shape! You’re not on the team, but your future looks bright.
College admissions doesn’t always work the same way.
If you have a dream school, you should absolutely take your best shot at gaining an acceptance. But some students become so focused on their first choice that they spend all their time refining an already-refined application, often to the detriment of their applications to schools where their chances of admission are stronger. It’s good to be focused and goal-oriented. But you also have to make sure that no matter what happens, you have a college to attend that you’re excited about even if it’s not your first choice.
So seniors, please do an honest check-in with yourself. Are you spending a lot more time on an application to your dream school than you have with any others? Have you actually resisted even thinking about other schools because you’re so excited about what seems to be your perfect fit?
If so, recognize that application perfection is elusive and embrace good enough. Then redirect that time, attention, and energy to other schools. Yes, you want an admission to your dream school. But just in case your affection goes unrequited, spread the application love now so you’ll have some good options later.
When colleges tell you, “Your application is incomplete.”
Here’s a scenario that plays out every year for many college applicants:
You’ve submitted the application and the essays to a college you want to attend. You’ve asked teachers to send letters, counselors to send transcripts, and testing companies to send scores. You thought you were done, ready to move on to the next application (or to celebrate your end to application season).
And then you get an email from the college:
“According to our records, your application is incomplete.”
That’s usually followed by a description of what’s currently missing.
Here are five tips to help you if you receive a similar message:
1. Don’t panic.
Some colleges do a much better job than others at minimizing the horror a message like this can elicit, but regardless of the tone, these notices don’t necessarily mean that you or someone else screwed up. And unless you ignore it, it almost never means that your candidacy has been damaged. Colleges are receiving thousands (and thousands) of individual pieces of information that real human beings then need to sort and file into the appropriate students’ records. The occasional missing item is a normal part of the process even when kids (and counselors, teachers, and testing companies) have done everything they were asked to do.
2. Read the message carefully.
Some families get so alarmed by the initial news that they ignore relevant details and instructions that follow. Read the entire message. Does it tell you what’s missing? Are there specific instructions to follow so you can update the information? Is there a number to call if you have questions? Read—and follow—those instructions carefully. They’ll make it easier for you and help you get your application updated as quickly as possible.
3. Confirm that the information has been sent.
Review your application confirmation. Double check with your counselor or teacher(s) or testing companies to verify that they sent what you asked them to send. And if something has not yet been sent, do not escalate into rage (more on that in #4). Colleges don’t punish kids for someone else’s mistakes. Instead, focus on the task at hand and communicate calmly and clearly that a college is still waiting on this information.
4. Do not yell at your counselor.
In fact, yelling at anyone during this time probably won’t help anything. But as far as your counselor is concerned, please don’t do it. It’s probably not justified, it’s never nice, and it could actually hurt your chances of admission to college, as Patrick O’Connor so expertly reminds families here.
5. Reach out to the college to update them.
As usual, communication with the admissions office should always come from the student, not the parent. Thank the college for alerting you, then tell them what you’ve discovered or what steps you’ve taken to ensure that the missing information has been sent. A communication like that usually makes its way into you file, and it will be an effective reminder to the colleges that you’re doing everything within reason to make your file complete.
Remember, this happens all the time. It’s frustrating, but normal. Respond productively and appropriately, and you’ll almost certainly soon find out that your application is now complete.
Don’t fear blank space
We’re one of those lucky companies that gets more than a hundred applications for a single open position when we’re hiring. And almost without exception, those who send 2- or 3-page resumes, or who include additional materials that we did not request, are not among the strongest candidates that we’re likely to interview.
It’s not that we’re trying to punish them. But the strongest applicants lead with their strongest information. They use brevity to their advantage so that it’s easy for us to see why they stand out.
Whether you’re applying for a job or applying to college, when you overwhelm those on the reading end with more information than a single person can process, you run the risk that your most noteworthy, impressive accomplishments will 1) shine less brightly, or 2) be missed entirely.
Long lists, multiple pages of text, extra materials—the more a reviewer has to process literally and mentally, the harder it is to discern what makes an applicant stand out.
Of course, if a college or an employer requests or requires more information or additional materials, send it along. The first rule is to follow the directions.
Otherwise, share your proudest accomplishments proudly and clearly. Use the space available to help a reader understand the magnitude or context. And if you run out of space, take that as a sign that you’ve reached the potential attention limit of those who will review your application. In fact, be as discerning as you can about what merits inclusion. If you can clearly explain what needs to be explained in less space than is provided, you might consider quitting while you’re ahead. Don’t fear blank space.
Good enough is good enough
For many seniors, the completion of college applications, especially those for the schools a student most wants to attend, can be divided into two phases:
1. The completion, where an application is technically complete.
2. The polishing, where a student seeks additional feedback and continues to make what are often subtle revisions in the name of completing a perfect application.
Both phases are important, but don’t let your polishing phase get out of hand.
I would never suggest that a student submit an application as soon as it is complete. Revising your application with a critical eye, often with the aid of additional feedback, is your opportunity to make improvements that can make a good application a great application.
But some students hold on to their applications until the very last minute, hoping that just a few more days of revisions can push them into the admit pile. And the rule of diminishing returns applies here. The longer you hold on to a completed application, the more angst you’ll generate, and the less valuable your revisions are likely to become.
Here are a few ways to identify if you’ve hit the revision wall:
1. Have the people you trust the most given you the “OK” to submit?
If so, resist the urge to seek additional feedback from other sources. If you ask 10 people for advice about how to improve your application, you’re likely to get up to 10 different opinions. Stick with your closest and most trusted advisors, whether they’re personal or professional. And once you’ve considered and potentially integrated their feedback, hit the “Submit” button and don’t look back.
2. Are you running out of revisions?
There comes a point with every project where your desire to improve it is greater than the number of available ideas to achieve that goal. If you find yourself staring at an application and the essays over a couple days without seeing any obvious points for improvement, that’s your brain’s way of telling you that you’ve done your best and that it’s time to send it off to the college.
I know it’s tempting to wait until you love every word, every construction of phrasing, every description and sentence and strategy you’ve brought together on an application to a college you really want to attend. But some students are more wired to experience that mental relief than others, and frankly, I’ve never seen a student reach that level of application pleasure simply by withholding the application, seeking ever more feedback, and over-polishing every section.
Yes, your college applications deserve your time and attention. And one of the most important reasons to start your applications long before the deadlines is to give yourself some breathing room to revisit and revise your first draft.
But at some point, you’ve taken in enough feedback, done enough drafts, and revised your application to a place where it’s as good as it is going to be. When that happens—and your trusted advisors agree—there’s no sense in prolonging your application anxiety. Be confident in yourself and the work that you’ve done. Then submit your application and enjoy the wave of relief to follow shortly thereafter. Perfection is a nice concept, but the most successful applicants trust themselves to know when good enough is good enough.
For November 1st deadline applicants
If you just submitted your application(s) for a November 1st early action or early decision deadline, congratulations. It’s not easy to start your senior year sprinting to meet an application deadline, and I hope you get the news you want when you receive your decision(s) in early December.
Now, here’s something I know you don’t want to hear—please don’t wait until then to complete the rest of your applications.
I know you’re tired. I know you deserve a break. I know that it will be fantastic if you get an early acceptance to your dream school, making all of those other applications no longer necessary.
But imagine what will happen if you don’t get the news you want.
You’ll then have to start all of your other college applications. You’ll only have a few weeks to do them, and nearly all of that time will be during your holiday break. And you’ll have to muster all the necessary application enthusiasm and attention to detail while licking your wounds from the news you’ve just received.
Please don’t do that to yourself.
Celebrate your early application submission (we do the same with our Collegewise students). Take a few days to breathe in and out. Then keep the momentum going and complete the rest of your applications.
If your December news is good, you’ll have wasted your time with the other apps. Trust me—you’ll be too happy to be frustrated.
But if your December news is bad, you can at least ease into your holiday break feeling relaxed, secure and happy that all your application work is already done. And that’s a lot better than a holiday filled with applications and essays.
You’re not running for office
The first question in the recent Republican presidential debate was, “What is your biggest weakness, and what are you doing to fix it?”
Imagine if a candidate had answered:
“It’s a constant struggle for me to stay organized.”
“I tend to start a lot more projects than I finish.”
“It’s difficult for me to admit that I was wrong.”
I’m not a political strategist and this isn’t a post about politics. But if presidential candidates admit a real weakness during a televised debate, it will be dissected and analyzed and even used against them by their opponents. That’s politics, especially in the age of the Internet where sound bytes and video travel fast.
Teenagers don’t have this problem.
Everyone has weaknesses. The college admissions process might send a message that you have to be great at everything, but the truth is that college applicants who see their own weaknesses and can even be open about them project a self-awareness and confidence that even many adults struggle to embrace.
If a college essay prompt or a college interviewer asks you about your weaknesses, don’t panic. Don’t be ashamed. And don’t try to spin your answer to something that’s actually positive like, “I’m too committed to community service.”
The question isn’t designed to trick you. And admissions officers aren’t going to point to that weakness as a reason not to admit you unless you reveal something concerning like, “I have a very bad temper,” or, “I get very depressed when things don’t turn out as I’d hoped” (neither of which bode well for students entering a college environment).
Instead, think about your weaknesses. What makes them challenging for you? Is it something you’re trying to improve or something you’ve just had to accept about yourself? Then just tell the truth.
You’re applying to college, not running for office.
State-of-the-nation for college applications
Mid-October is when admissions anxiety really ramps up for many seniors and their parents. Deadlines are coming. Pressure is mounting. And with every parental inquiry (“Have you finished your Common App essay?”), many students are reluctant to give a full report of their (lack of) progress. I’d like to offer some insights for both parents and students, and then recommend a strategy to move forward.
First, for parents, it’s important to understand just how much pressure your student might be feeling and how that can paralyze some kids to a point of inaction. Staring at a blank college application or essay that a student knows will later be judged and used to render a decision is a difficult circumstance for even the most disciplined teen, and many of them are simply waiting for what they hope is creative inspiration, which frustratingly becomes less likely to appear the closer they get to the impending deadline.
Now, for students, while your parents may seem to be nagging you to your wit’s end, in almost every case, it comes from a good place. They want to see you relieved of application pressure and ultimately admitted to a college you love. When your progress seems to be stalled, they worry that you’re not going to get all those things you both want. Yes, their persistent checking-in can actually exacerbate the pressure you’re feeling, but chances are that they’re really just trying to help.
So for both parties, consider having a state-of-the-nation for college applications. There are two keys to making this successful.
First, ask the right questions:
1. What’s been completed?
2. What’s left to be done?
3. What troubles or questions does the student have, and where might he or she go to get the answers?
4. How can we (the parents) best help you at this point? Note: Do not jump in and do the work for them. However, organizing, prioritizing, offering helpful feedback or advice—those are all within the boundaries and even encouraged by the colleges themselves.
Second, follow some important state-of-the-nation ground rules, which you should agree on in advance.
There should be no blaming, no regrets, no finger-pointing or otherwise unproductive exchanges during your state-of-the-nation. Don’t let your conversation degenerate into a discussion of what should have been done differently (or not done at all)—that’s not helpful for your desired outcome. Instead, focus on where you are today, what you need to do, and how you can get it all done in the best way possible.
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