Creating successful college applications

Joseph Dennis

Senior Reporter

Applying for colleges can be a challenging endeavor without the proper guidance to creating a well-developed application and admissions essay.

Whether it’s the University of Washington or Stanford University, knowing what to avoid when filling out an application or formatting an admissions essay can save graduates or undergraduates from some of the common pitfalls.

CBS Money Watch reports that certain topics people should stay away from when writing an admissions essay include sports, luck, humor, tragedies and politics.

Money Watch’s “Five tips for acing college applications” says applicants should budget about 100 hours to complete eight to 12 college applications.

Also, aside from being patient with filling out an application, beating the submission deadline by one to two weeks will better an applicant’s chances of being accepted into his or her desired college or university.

This will also help avoid problems that may arise such as technical difficulties or illness that could delay turning in an application on time.

U.S. News & World Report explains that many universities and colleges charge $35-50 for each applications.

For example, Evergreen State College charges $50 for general and transfer applications. Although, some colleges allow people to apply for free, like Pierce College. According U.S. News’s article “5 Tips for Students Applying to College Alone” by Ryan Lytle, visiting the college’s campus and talking to the financial aid office can ward off some of the confusion or intimidation that may burden applicants.

Lytle also states that working with academic mentors, such as guidance counselors or teachers, can improve a person’s likelihood of getting into their preferred choice of college or university.

More than anything, be honest when filling out an application or writing the admissions essay.

Dishonesty only complicates the process in joining any college or university, plus it’ll potentially deny any further chances of getting in.

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