| The first impression of yourself that you give the | | | | you favor and it might get your application tossed. |
| college of your dreams may be through your | | | | Avoiding Essay Fatalities |
| application essay. That's why you can find so many | | | | One of the surest things you can do to ensure that |
| digital and print resources dedicated to the topic. | | | | your college application essay passes the test is to |
| While there are several things you can do to improve | | | | keep from making the numerous mistakes identified |
| you chances of acceptance, stressing out over it is | | | | as essay fatalities. Some of the ways to make the |
| not one of them. Just follow these tips and tricks for | | | | most of your application is to avoid clownish humor, |
| college application essay success and let the chips fall | | | | making general statements, or including information |
| where they may. | | | | that doesn't support the direction of the essay. |
| Getting Your Application Noticed | | | | In addition you should check for misspellings, |
| In an effort to better judge the number of students | | | | grammatical mistakes, as well as ensuring you |
| desiring to go to particular colleges, most have | | | | completely answered the essay question. Getting a |
| created an early decision / early action stage of the | | | | second opinion is paramount, as many applicants are |
| application process. These two periods occur earlier | | | | unable to get outside of their point of view well |
| than regular admissions and are an excellent | | | | enough to spot inconsistencies. |
| opportunity for you to get your application noticed. | | | | Putting Yourself into Your Application |
| Here's how they work: | | | | Perhaps the most potent advice you can heed is to |
| • Early Decision. Once you've been accepted | | | | wholly personalize your college application essay. The |
| under an early decision, you're committed to | | | | purpose of the piece is to provide admissions |
| attending that school unless your financial aid package | | | | specialists with a snapshot of you as a person and as |
| is too low. You can apply to one school under early | | | | a student. To do that, you've got to put yourself out |
| decision and other schools under regular admission. | | | | there--and that means sharing your life. You may |
| • Early Action. This admission is similar to | | | | want to create a "self-outline" that lists your best |
| early decision accept that you're under no obligation | | | | traits along with pieces of evidence from your life |
| to attend. The rules for early action vary from one | | | | that prove your point. Find patterns and connections |
| school to the next, so it's up to you to confirm. You | | | | in your notes that can serve as a framework for |
| can still apply to other schools under the regular | | | | why you should be accepted. |
| admission process. | | | | Above all, don't relate rejection from a particular |
| Another obvious, but nonetheless vital method of | | | | college as a rejection of you as a person. There's a |
| standing out from the crowd is to follow the | | | | great deal of luck and subjectivity involved--meaning |
| application directions explicitly. That means meeting | | | | sending the right message to the right admissions |
| word requirements, including all requested pieces, and | | | | specialist at the right time. If you stick with a quality |
| leaving no blank spaces. While colleges may contact | | | | writing process, you can be sure to strike a chord |
| you to get the missing pieces, it certainly won't gain | | | | with one of your collegiate choices. |