What You Must Do on Your College Applications

1. Re-check eventhing on your application form. Then have someone else read it. Then someone else. We become so familiar our own writing that we often don't notice a minor mistake. If you make an error on this form, it could mean delays in processing your application at best, or outright rejection at worst.

2. All of your transcripts (yes, even from community colleges if you took only a single class there) must reach the college before your application file will be considered complete. Don't be one of the many students that rushed to get the application in by the early decision deadline only to be delayed by weeks because of late transcripts. Request them early and always verify that they have been sent.

3. Don't embarrass yourself by is beginning your personal statement to Harvard with, "I have always wanted to attend Yale..." Believe it or not, it happens. A lot. And it's a surefire way to find yourself in the trashcan. Just like your application, you must proofread each essay and check that you have adhered to all the individual requirements the school may have. A 2000-word essay, for example, would be inappropriate if the college only wanted 500 words. Likewise, off-topic essays are sure to get you looked down upon.

For more on these three tips and for the rest of the list, view the Application Checklist at http://acceptedtocollege.com/application/checklist/.

Sure, you worked hard to get where you are today. But it's not too late to throw it all away and to ruin your chances for college admission. Read these tips to learn how to get rejected:

• Don't explain titles or acronyms. Believe me, everyone will know what the president of TRDP does, so don't bother explaining it. Besides, if they didn't know the ins and outs of what being an Eagle Scout entail, they wouldn't be on the admissions committee, right? They're smart and know everything, so don't waste your time convincing them.


• Read and copy an essay idea out of a personal statement book. Those books are awesome and always publish winning essays. If you use one of them, you're guaranteed to be accepted. Admissions officers never read these books and will not recognize the essay. And if you're worried about plagiarism, don't copy the entire essay, but instead, just reuse the same idea. This is even better, in fact, because there will be a ton of other applicants who read the same book and will use the same idea. Admissions officers love to see consistency.


• Cover up your weaknesses. Yeah, so you slacked off a little bit during your second semester in your sophomore year. No problem. Just don't talk about it and the admissions committee won't notice. Sure they have your transcript, but they really only care about the final GPA, not about the individual grades. By mentioning your weakness, you're just calling attention to it. Just like a giant squid in your kitchen, the healthiest thing you can do is just to ignore it.

Of course, if you don't want to get rejected from college, there are some other tips you should follow. To learn more about what you shouldn't be doing, visit http://acceptedtocollege.com/application/how-to-get-rejected/

I love the question, "how many extracurriculars should I have?" I love it because it shows shows right away if you are thinking the wrong way about involvement. Extracurriculars don't work on a point system whereby the more you have, the more points you get. Instead, colleges are looking for quality involvement. For example, a four-year membership in one organization is better than four one-year commitments to different clubs.

You should join clubs that you are truly personally interested in. Universities like to see focus, and doing something you like makes it a lot easier to focus on it. Also, you will get a more valuable experience from a club, sport, or organization that you truly enjoy. Best of all, these experiences make great personal statement topics!

Shoot for 2 or 3 really high quality extracurriculars. This is all you will really have time for, plus it will give you the opportunity to be more deeply involved in them and perhaps even sit on the executive board.

Other questions I love to hear include:
- "do I have to be the president of all my clubs?",
- "how important are extracurriculars compared to other things like GPA and test scores?", and
- "do extracurriculars really help get me accepted?"

For answers to these questions, and to learn what every student does wrong with extracurriculars, read the full article at http://acceptedtocollege.com/application/extracurriculars/