It is a saying that we learn from our mistakes. But a mistake done more than one time can make you pay a huge penalty. Today in our Thursday post we will talk about common problems that are found in college applications. Last week we discussed about your MBA goals.

College applications include essays, academics, recommendation letters and extracurricular activities. Admission officers are the people who have great experience in scrutinizing the student’s overall portfolio. They evaluate your essays, recommendation letters and extracurricular activities. So these three things will decide whether you are best suited for their college or not. Normally they don’t have much word on your academics.

Here are some stumbling blocks that you need to jump over:

• First and foremost read all the instructions very carefully. Don’t be in a hurry. Try to read between the lines. Don’t get confused. If you are confused you can just give a call to admission office and clear your doubts to save future trouble.

• Write Powerfully – Ensure that you are focusing on quality (content) and not quantity. You may be required to write about 500 words but those words should be used correctly, effectively and imaginatively.

• Honesty is the best policy – Try to keep your essays as simple and honest as you can. Don’t exaggerate. The admission officers immediately understand if you exaggerate as they check thousands of essays every day. They can understand your ability after reading your essay and if they find that the student has over polished his/her essay then it may have a negative impact on your admission.

• The worst part is when students misspell the college they are applying for. They also often make a mistake of not editing the essay they had written for previous college which creates a bad impression in the mind f admission officer.

• Be consistent and honest in your application because what you have written is written by you. You may have to speak about it in your personal interview.

• Prepare a checklist and make sure you have checked grammar and spellings. Make sure you proof-read everything. Some ways to proof-read are to get a counselor who will proof-read your application. Second, read aloud your application in front of your friend or family member.

• Make sure there are no discrepancies in your application. Discrepancies like your hobbies or career interests and the job or course that you have taken or wish to take.

• Make sure you complete the application before deadline.

• Remember your college application is an opportunity to communicate your ideas effectively to admission officers.

We at Futureworks care about your education. We have created a list of workshops and can also customize the workshops to meet the specific needs of the institution.