| H.G. Wells once said, "Human history becomes more | | | | and take steps to insure that it actually does get |
| and more a race between education and | | | | mailed quickly. Offer your credit card to pay for a |
| catastrophe," which emphasized the importance of | | | | $15.00 overnight or $5.00 second day delivery. |
| continued schooling. As the fate and future not only | | | | Wherever possible, do not rely on school |
| of any great nation - but the world, is dependent on | | | | administrators in the application process, and keep |
| the education of its youth, a far brighter light is cast | | | | your own thorough and accurate records for all |
| upon the college application process. | | | | schools applied to. Do not anticipate and rely on |
| It is in the application process, more than anywhere | | | | documentation from the schools. |
| else, that the academic future of any student is | | | | Those with Adobe Acrobat should go to each |
| determined. There is only one moment in time when | | | | school's website, download their application, and save |
| the student's stuff shows up in the admissions office | | | | it on Desktop or in the My Documents folder, then |
| - and it better shine! Negligence in this arena leads to | | | | complete it. Before printing it out, the application |
| failure, and this cannot and must not be an option in | | | | should be scrutinized as it must be submitted without |
| any student's life. | | | | a single mistake or inconsistency. The application is a |
| The first item that is reviewed by admission | | | | test within itself, and you don't want to lose the |
| committees is the student's transcript. It immediately | | | | ballgame before you even get up to bat! Close |
| determines whether or not the student is qualified. | | | | attention should be given to all questions so that |
| Simply put, it either contains qualifying grades and | | | | they are answered correctly and properly. |
| scores or it doesn't. If not, the rest of the student's | | | | I cannot overstate the importance of following |
| stuff, no matter how carefully prepared or | | | | directions! Each application must be submitted letter |
| impressive - will be tossed in the waste basket! | | | | perfect! Be particularly careful with questions that call |
| Given the student passes round one, the next item | | | | for a checkmark for the answer. Do not ever use an |
| carefully examined is the application. I strongly advise | | | | 'X' as that would be seen as not following |
| all of the families I counsel to avoid the Common | | | | instructions, and this is the most common cause of |
| Application unless the school being applied to doesn't | | | | rejection! Never lose sight of the fact that the |
| have its own form. I also highly recommend the use | | | | schools are knee deep in applications from qualified |
| of Adobe Acrobat 5.0 or higher to prepare the | | | | students and are looking for reasons to reject! |
| application. In my view, the PDF file format is the | | | | It is not necessary and definitely not recommended |
| most professional looking document you can submit. | | | | that you volunteer any information on questions that |
| Using the school's form and preparing it with Adobe | | | | are marked, "Optional." Providing the wrong optional |
| silently announces the student's intention of making a | | | | information seriously jeopardizes the student's |
| very positive first impression. | | | | chances of being accepted. The only thing you want |
| If for any reason you cannot use an application in a | | | | to provide that is optional - is a photo. |
| PDF file format, contact each school and have them | | | | Given that you have carefully prepared the |
| send you their application packet. Be careful not to | | | | application, print it out and have at least two family |
| make the all-too-common mistake of trusting that | | | | members review it. Once you are certain it is mistake |
| sincere sounding, reassuring admissions person who | | | | free, that all answers are consistent and all |
| promises that the application package will be mailed | | | | instructions have been followed, mail it either |
| immediately. Leave nothing to chance. Be creative | | | | overnight or 2nd day with signature guarantee. |