Common College Application Mistakes

Visiting colleges

4. YOU DON'T TAKE THE COLLEGE FOR A TEST DRIVE
Would you buy a car without taking a test drive, or new jeans without trying them on? Well, too many students choose their future college without conducting a thorough search, and end up making a haphazard decision at application time.

"Some students don't even know the programs at the schools to which they're applying," says Riordan at George Mason. "I had one applicant eager to get into our architecture program--we don't even offer an architecture major."

Proper exploration will result in a matching of your abilities, aptitudes, achievements, and interests with academic, social, and related offerings of the various colleges. Use the exploration period to learn about yourself and what you want. Why are you going to college? What are your educational and career goals? What do you want to study?

Also, think about the sort of campus setting in which you would be most comfortable (i.e., urban vs. rural, large vs. small, all female vs. coed). Be sure to tour your top-choice campuses to make sure the colleges' materials accurately portray the environment.

5. YOU DECIDE THERE IS ONLY ONE "RIGHT" COLLEGE
There is no single "right" college for you. There are probably several. Before you begin to narrow your options, do everything you can to expand them. Look beyond the colleges that are known to you.

Don't apply to colleges where you cannot compete academically. By matching your qualifications and personal characteristics with the profile of admitted students, you'll paint an accurate picture of your chances of being accepted.

Create a list of five to ten serious choices, using the three-tier approach. Your first-tier colleges are the extremely competitive or "reach" schools; second-tier colleges are those colleges that meet all your requirements but are not as selective as the first group; and the third-tier should include colleges that you're sure to get into, a.k.a safety schools. Make certain you apply to some colleges from the latter two groups.

6. YOU MAKE THE PRICE YOUR PRIORITY
"You should not exclude colleges from your list of possibilities on the initial appearance of cost," says Steve Syverson, dean of admission and financial aid at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, where the cost is $26,583 a year but the average aid package is $18,110.

"Some parents lump all private universities together as too expensive compared to public schools. But compare the costs after taking financial aid into consideration and the real costs are often similar."

At many American colleges and universities, one-half to two-thirds of the student population is using some form of financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) So, don't assume that your family makes too much money or has too many possessions to qualify for financial aid.

7. YOU LET YOUR DOG EAT YOUR APPLICATION
Your application and supporting materials (high-school transcript, essay, teacher and counselor recommendations) are all that the admission officer officers have in front of them when they consider your candidacy. Your application is your voice. It should be a strong voice. Read the application carefully from beginning to end.

Make sure your application is complete, accurate, neatly prepared, and submitted on time. (To meet deadlines, create an exploration and application calendar, and stick to it.) Also, don't just tell the admission committee what you think it wants to hear.

Follow all of the directions, make certain that test scores and transcripts are directed to the proper person or department, and don't send extraneous items (such as video or music tapes) — unless of course, they are requested.

If you conduct a smart search and avoid the mistakes mentioned, there is a strong likelihood that a letter of acceptance will find its way to your mailbox.

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This article originally appeared in Careers & Colleges magazine