Tips for Successfully Filling Out College Admissions Applications

The application process can be divided in 4 parts:

1. Filling Out The Application
2. Writing the Essay
3. Personal Interview
4. Final Decision

1. The Application
The application is your way of introducing yourself to a college admissions office. You should always try to make a good first impression and this can be done by finding out what the college or university needs from you.

Read the application carefully to find out the requirements:

• application fee and deadline
• required standardized tests
• number of essays
• interview requirements

In addition, you should do anything else you can do to help improve your chances for acceptance. You should always try to fill the applications yourself as it helps you learn more about the schools to which you are applying. State universities usually select students based on GPAs and test scores. Colleges that request an interview, ask you to respond to a few open-ended questions, or require an essay, are interested in a more personal approach to the application process and may be looking for different types of students than those sought by a state school. The standardized test scores and your high school transcript should be available at the colleges to which you apply. Most colleges will require teacher recommendations as well. Select teachers who know you and your abilities well and allow them plenty of time to complete the recommendations. Make sure you follow up with the college to ensure their receipt when you send the application electronically or by mail.

2. The Application Essay
Many colleges request one essay or a combination of essays and short-answer topics to learn more about whom you are and how well you can communicate your thoughts. Common essay topics cover such simple themes as writing about yourself and your experiences or why you want to attend that particular school. Whereas the other portions of your application—your transcript, test scores, and involvement in extracurricular activities—are a reflection of what you’ve accomplished up to this point, your application essay is an opportunity to present yourself in the here and now. The essay shows your originality and verbal skills and is very important.

Make sure that the tone of the essay reflects enthusiasm, creativity and your leadership skills.

Be sure that you set aside enough time to write the essay, revise it, and revise it again. Running the “spell check” feature on your computer will only detect a fraction of the errors you probably made on your first pass at writing it. Take a break and then come back to it and reread it. You will probably notice other style, content, and grammatical problems and other ways that you can improve the essay overall. Always answer the question that is being asked, making sure that you are specific, clear, and true to your personality.

You should seek out the help of reviewers who know you well— friends, parents, teachers—since they are the most honest and will keep you on track in the presentation of your true self.

3. Follow the directions to the letter. You don’t want to be in a position to ask an admissions officer for exceptions due to your inattentiveness.
Make a photocopy of the application and work through a rough draft before you actually fill out the application copy to be submitted.
Proofread all parts of your application, including your essay. Again, the final product indicates to the admissions staff how meticulous and careful you are in your work.
Submit your application as early as possible, provided all of the pieces are available. If there is a problem with your application, this will allow you to work through it with the admissions staff in plenty of time. If you wait until the last minute, it not only takes away that cushion but also reflects poorly on your sense of priorities.
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4. The Personal Interview
Although it is relatively rare that a personal interview is required, many colleges recommend that you take this opportunity for a face-to-face discussion with a member of the admissions staff. Read through the application materials to determine whether or not a college places great emphasis on the interview. If they strongly recommend that you have one, it may work against you to forego it. In contrast to a group interview and some alumni interviews, which are intended to provide information about a college, the personal interview is viewed both as an information session and as further evaluation of your skills and strengths—so here are some suggestions on how to make the most of it.

Scheduling Your Visit- Generally, students choose to visit campuses in the summer or fall of their senior year. Both times have their advantages. A summer visit, when the campus is not in session, generally allows for a less hectic visit and interview. Visiting in the fall, on the other hand, provides the opportunity to see what campus life is like in full swing. If you choose the fall, consider arranging an overnight trip so that you can stay in one of the college dormitories. At the very least, you should make your way around campus to take part in classes, athletic events, and social activities. Always make an appointment and avoid scheduling more than two college interviews on any given day. Multiple interviews in a single day hinder your chances of making a good impression

Preparation. Know the basics about the college before going for your interview. You should also spend some time thinking about your strengths and weaknesses and, in particular, what you are looking for in a college education. You will find that as you get a few interviews under your belt, they will get easier. You might consider starting with a college that is not a top contender on your list, where the stakes are not as high.

Asking Questions. One of the most common questions, your interviewer will ask you, is “Do you have any questions?” Not having one may suggest that you’re unprepared or, even worse, not interested. When you do ask questions, make sure that they are ones that matter to you and that have a bearing on your decision about whether or not to attend. The questions that you ask will give the interviewer some insight into your personality and priorities.

5. The Final Decision– Once you have received your acceptance letters, it is time to go back and look at the whole picture. Provided that you received more than one acceptance letter, you are now in a position to compare your options. The best way to do this is to compare your original list of important college ranking criteria with what you’ve discovered about each college along the way. In addition, you and your family will need to factor in the financial aid component. You will need to look beyond these cost issues and the quantifiable pros and cons of each college, however, and know that you have a good feeling about your final choice. Before sending off your acceptance letter, you need to feel confident that the college will feel like home for the next four years. Once the choice is made, the only hard part will be waiting for an entire summer before heading off to college!

Here are more articles with advice for successfully filling out college admissions applications.

Here are some articles with advice for writing college admissions application essays.

Here is a guide to college admissions.

Rachel Goldstein is the owner of Education Index - A directory of education-related articles. Rachel is also owner of All Schools and Learning Directory and Tutorials Select Directory.

[tags]College Admissions, College Applications, Admissions, University Admissions, University Applications[/tags]