“College Applications—Biggest Mistakes Students Make”
…as reported by college admissions officers across the United States.
Not taking ownership of the process (This is your journey students, so dig into college research and figure out what you want!)
Not reading applications carefully and therefore not following directions.
Not reaching out to ask questions when confused or frustrated by something on an application.
Not using the same spelling/name/email on everything submitted. (can cause multiple accounts!)
Not reporting correct SS# (check for typos on everything, re-check for typos, then ask someone else to check for typos)
Not reporting classes or grades earned accurately (work directly off your high school transcript!)
Not checking and reading emails (Needs to be done REGULARLY during application season and into adulthood!)
Not explaining low grades/shortened course progressions–OR contextualizing them in a way that blames someone else (usually teachers or counselors)
Not sharing enough info about difficult circumstances
Not spelling majors correctly (or anything else) – psychology is often misspelled.
Not hitting application deadlines (No matter how talented you are, if you miss the deadline, nobody will read your application!)
Not filing financial aid before deadline (a lot of money gets left on the table—check financial aid pages for each college your student applies to for deadlines)
Not checking your university email once you are accepted (cannot emphasize enough!)
Not setting up portals when asked to by a university (again and again—check your email!)
Not notifying admissions offices if phone number/email/home address gets changed.
Not notifying admissions when visiting a campus (you want them to know you came by!)
