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If your transcript and test scores are perfect, why should
you spend time on your application? Is anyone going to read
your essays? Will anyone notice that you visited three times
and interviewed once?
The answer is yes. Here is what schools are looking for:
Essay
"The essay
is both a writing sample and an indication of the student's
personality," says David Murray, a former admissions counselor
at DePauw University in Indiana. "Exceptional essays–or
poorly written essays–can swing borderline cases. The
closer you get to what we call the muddy middle, the more
difficult it becomes to decide. A student must present a hook–what
is it that makes this student special?"
Special talents
Find out if the school will accept extra material. Are you
a cartoonist? Send your portfolio. Do you play the violin?
Send a tape of one of your performances.
Extracurricular activities
Create and reinforce a picture of who you are by focusing
on a few roles: leader, artist, athlete, and scholar.
"Do not have a four-
or five-page résumé of activities. It's as if
students think that if they send you this large, large package
of materials that it will make them a better candidate," says
Barbara-Jan Wilson of Wesleyan University. "You want to focus
the admissions office's attention on certain things. If you
send me too much, I'm going to get lost. I'm not going to
know which recommendation to read–and I'm not going to
read everything."
Interview
The admissions interview is probably the least important element
of your application.
Recommendations
Letters from teachers who know you well and are familiar with
your performance, character, and goals can make a difference
in the selection process. Their letters can explain gaps between
grades and test scores and illuminate an area in which you
excel, such as public speaking, that might be overlooked.
Letters from employers can also help. But rarely do the general
platitudes of an acquaintance–alumni included–make
a difference.
Neatness
and punctuality
Neatly write or, better yet, type your application. Meet the
deadline.
Family
ties to the school
How important is it that your father or mother graduated from
your first-choice school? It depends.
Sending
additional material
Be sure that it adds something new to your profile. Some schools
do not accept additional material. Be sure to find out before
you send an extra package. Gimmicks don't work.
Follow-up
Don't pester, but it is a good idea to stop by the admissions
office if you are on campus or call to be sure your application
is complete.
Early
admission
Applying early admission shows that you are strongly interested
in the school.
For well-qualified
students who know where they want to go to school, the best
strategy is to request an early decision from the admissions
office. One potential drawback of early admission is that
you have no room to entertain competing financial-aid offers.
Common
application
The common application is administered by the National Association
of Secondary School Principals and is accepted by the member
schools as equivalent to their own forms. Students only need
to fill out the application once; photocopies of the completed
application may be sent to any number of the participating
schools. You should note, however, that some of the schools
require a supplemental application. The common application
is available free of charge at most high school guidance offices.
Otherwise, visit the Common
Application Web site or contact:
Office of Common
Applications
NASSP
1904 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191
(703) 860-0200
(800) 253-7746
Electronic
application
More and more colleges and universities are offering the electronic
application as an alternative to the traditional application.
Applications are now available through a school's Web site
or through a number of electronic application services, such
as College
Link.
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