It’s that time of year. Seniors are submitting college applications and asking themselves an important question: Did I do everything possible to make my application AWESOME? I want to share some of MY top questions I encourage you to ask before hitting SUBMIT:
- Did I PREVIEW every section of the Common App, seeing my application the way colleges will see it? Did I adjust spacing & formatting & preview again?
- Everything has word or character counts, and the Common App STOPS at the limit. Do I see ALL OF MY WORDS in each response, or did it cut me off anywhere?
- Do my activities include enough WOW FACTORS & show my impact wherever possible?
- Does my main essay tell my BEST story in a compelling, creative way?
- If I had to enter grades, does what I entered MIRROR my transcript exactly?
- Is my application consistent & accurate throughout in terms of information, facts, etc.?
- Did I add Academic Honors to the Education section and explain if needed?
- Did I explain anything that needs to be (good or bad) in the Additional Information or Challenges & Circumstances section? Are there any red flags I need to avoid or explain?
- Did I review everything with fresh eyes after giving it a break and show someone I trust (parent, teacher, college coach)?
- Am I applying on time and keeping tabs on anything else I need to submit (recs, test scores, transcripts, etc.)?
I can think of many more but thought this would be helpful to share! Keep in mind, you CAN change information in your Common App AFTER applying to a school (updates, mistakes you find, etc.), and it’s best to preview/proof carefully EACH time you apply to a school!
Other articles you may find helpful:
- Last-Minute Application Tips – some explanations of my questions above + more!
- I applied, now what? Post-application tips
