Your College Application

Your application is a crucial document in the admissions process. It demonstrates the quality of your writing and thinking and tells the college how you have spent your time. A well-written, thoughtful application can improve your chances for admission, while a poorly written, careless application can be detrimental to your chances.

There's no surefire formula that will guarantee a good application, but you can help yourself by keeping the following in mind. Read through all the information received before filling in any information on the application. Be aware of application deadlines. You will increase your chances of producing a strong application if you allow yourself plenty of time. Start writing a rough draft of the application several weeks before it is due. Then revise and rewrite. Put it on the shelf for a few days then read what you've written to a friend or a parent. Make certain that your final copy is neat and clean. Make sure you have completed all portions to be filled out by the applicant. It should be typed or neatly printed.

You may apply to as many colleges as you wish, but usually it is not necessary to submit more than five or six applications. Your final list of colleges typically includes two colleges which are `reaches', two which are "possibles" or where you have a better than even chance, and two which are `safeties' or where admission is reasonably certain. Make sure that every college that is on your list is one you would be happy to attend. Make copies of all material submitted. Occasionally, applications are lost in the mail; a copy is your insurance policy against this happening. Remember, the application is your opportunity to make a statement to an admissions committee; do not lose this opportunity.