College application submission season is a very exciting time!  For the past several weeks, I have been proofreading  college applications at Bottom Line to make sure that they are ready to be sent. I’d like to share with you some of the mistakes I have caught, so you can avoid them too.

  1. There are a few places on the Common App where the applicant has to type in an answer rather than select one in a menu. It is very easy to make mistakes in these places.  Look out for spelling and capitalization errors in sections such as your Parent’s Position/Title and Name of Employer as well as your Current Year Courses.
  2. The Activities section is required, whether or not you plan to attach a resume.  It is intended to highlight the activities that are most important to you, including the year, season, duration, and position in which you participated.  Read each of your answers carefully to make sure that they accurately reflect your involvement. Then, craft a resume-like description of the activity.  Again, be sure to proofread your response before hitting submit!
  3. I could write an entire blog about the college essay, but one widespread mistake to avoid is using the word like where such as or for example is grammatically correct. (e.g. I enjoy playing sports, such as basketball.)
  4. Finally, after you ask two teachers to write recommendations for you, be sure to go into the School Forms section and invite them to your list of Recommenders.

Good luck!
Katrina

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