My favorite thing to do after 26 years in the industry is read applications. I still get to do that even after leaving the college side of the admissions process.
Nowadays, I do "application reviews" for my students in Application Nation. I read over everything in the application (except letters of recommendation which they don't have access to) and give them feedback before they hit the "submit" button. I point out little things and big things they need to correct before applying.
Certain sections of Common App tend to be more troublesome. I see the most mistakes on applications in these five sections:
1. Honors
Common App specifically states that the student should be listing "academic" honors. But more times than not, students will include awards from activities, like All-Conference in Football, second place in the regional competition for FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), or Quiz Bowl city champion. While these are all wonderful achievements, they belong with the activity listing in the Activities section, not the Honors section. And, one more thing I see a lot of in the Honors section is students adding an "s" onto the end of "Honor." It's not National Honors Society; it's National Honor Society.
2. Activities
If you share a leadership title with another student, you are supposed to make that clear. More times than not, students are afraid to list themselves as a "Co-Captain" or "Co-President." They think that adding the "Co" diminishes their role. But in fact, it shows respect for your fellow leader and your honesty. Do not leave off the "Co." It's disingenuous if you do.3. Writing
When students copy and paste their essay into Common App, they are not done! You should read through your essay in "Preview." That's the view that admissions officers will read your application in. Too often than not, students do not review their essay in "Preview" and they miss the fact that spacing, formatting, and certain words did not transfer properly. Sometimes your essay is bolded when it's not supposed to be bolded. Other times there is weird spacing in between paragraphs. And be really careful when you use a word in another language—it may translate into symbols instead of the word you intended. You can easily make adjustments in the editing mode where you copied and pasted your essay.4. Additional Information
This year, Common App reduced the maximum word count in this section from 650 to 300 words. Hallelujah. But still, I see a lot of students using this section to extend their activities and honors lists. Do not do this. The Additional Information section is for absolutely necessary information like when a student has a scheduling conflict or they need to explain something that is essential to their candidacy. Anything else and the admissions officer reading your application will roll their eyes and often skip over what you included. Less is more in this section. In fact, adding nothing is usually the best option
READ MORE: When to Use the Additional Information Section on Common App
5. Testing
If you self-report ACT scores, be careful inputting your scores. A lot of students put their superscore in the first field, "Highest composite score." This is not your superscore. You are supposed to put the highest composite score you got on a single test. How do I know this? Because right after you provide the score, you are required to input the exact date when you got that composite score. If Common App wanted your superscore, it wouldn't have asked for a date!READ MORE: 10 Things Seniors Should Do Right Now for College Admissions
There are so many nuances and complexities to filling out an application. Students are often doing this for the first time. I've done it thousands of times. I know the ins and outs of every section of Common App. As much as it is a fairly easy platform to navigate, certain sections are trickier than others. Make sure to do your own "application review" before submitting your application. It is the best way to catch mistakes and ensure your application is everything you want it to be.
