By Jessica Yeager, Contributor
There’s a lot riding on each college application. Now that we are getting close to application deadlines, I wanted
to share some mistakes students make that really hurt their
chances of being accepted at their dream colleges.
1. Starting too late
My college essay (that got me into Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford,
Cornell, and Columbia) took me months to write. The one college I was rejected from (Princeton) didn’t get that
essay; instead I sent Princeton four short answers that I waited
until the weekend before to send. Not too surprising that I
didn’t get in. You really want to give yourself plenty of time to
develop your unique story, so don’t wait to start your essay.
Start today, if you haven’t already!
2. Being generic
It’s so easy for your application to look like everyone else’s,
and admissions officers literally spend only a few minutes with
your application. It’s so important that you stand out. Your
essay should tell the admissions committee something unique about
who you are and what you’ll bring to the campus that the rest of
your application doesn’t.
3. Burning yourself out
This one starts even before you start filling out your
application. So many students think the only way to get into
Harvard or Yale is by joining 17 clubs, playing
three sports, volunteering at the local hospital a few hours
a week, and taking seven AP courses. Usually this only leads to burnout and isn’t a guarantee that
you’ll get into your dream college. In fact, schools may
interpret it as not really knowing yourself and what you want to
do.
Focusing on a few interests you really care about and going
deep can really set you apart.
4. Doing anything cold
Every aspect of the application requires preparation. You never
want to take the ACT or SAT without studying and taking practice
exams. You’d also never want to go into an alumni or admissions
interview without practicing your interview skills and thinking
about what you want to talk about. Practicing your interview can
be as simple as filming yourself while answering some of the
obvious questions like, “Why do you want to go to this school?”
5. Selling yourself short
The application is your place to brag. If you started a club,
raised thousands of dollars, and got 20 students to join, SAY
THAT! Don’t just say president of club to help underprivileged
kids. Being specific and quantitative about all your amazing
accomplishments is critical to a successful application. I see
this all the time. College applications are not the place to
undersell.
6. Acting aloof
Yield rates, the percentage of accepted students who enroll, are
extremely important to elite universities. If you act aloof
about getting into a particular school, you might be
waitlisted or even denied. Show your interest by visiting campus
if you can, connecting with professors or coaches, and
researching organizations and majors you want to discuss in your
supplemental essays.
7. Skipping the optional essay
Schools make their Why do you want to go to our school?
essays optional for one reason — to increase their number of
applications. Don’t fall for this trick. Spend time crafting this
essay just like you would any required supplemental essay. It’s
your opportunity to show all the research you’ve done on the
school and why you’re a perfect fit.
If you want even more tips for creating your absolute best
college application, get my Ultimate Guide to the Common App.
Jessica is a graduate of Harvard and MIT with over ten years
of tutoring experience. As a senior in high school, she gained
acceptance to Harvard, MIT, Yale, Stanford, Cornell, and
Columbia. She is the founder of Impress the
Ivies and host of the Dream College
Summit. Her students have gotten into
elite schools, like Harvard and Carnegie
Mellon.
