College applications are stressful. From endless supplemental essays, to countless materials and deadlines to keep track of to painstaking proofreads of the Common Application over and over again, it is easy to get overwhelmed. However, a few college representatives from Miami Palmetto Senior High’s recent College Fair offered students reassurance, last-minute tips for November deadlines and advice for anxious applicants.
One tip that representatives continuously emphasized was to always proofread essays. According to Regional Senior Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions for the University of Vermont Andrew Hunsinger, one of the most common mistakes he sees in applications is a simple yet disastrous error: mentioning the wrong school.
“If they’re applying to University of Vermont, for example, and they’re saying, ‘I can’t wait to go to Florida,’ no — you didn’t proofread your essay,” Hunsinger said. “If you have a specific essay for a specific school, make sure you go and send it to that school and not to all your schools. That is a huge mistake I see a lot of, and then I’m like, ‘Well, I don’t want to admit you because I know you don’t want to come here.’”
Assistant Director of Admissions for the College of Charleston Madison Turner agrees with the view that being foolproof when it comes to reviewing one’s own application is crucial, especially with their personal statement essay that all schools have access to.
“I’d say on the application sometimes I think that [applicants are] maybe not thorough enough. They’ll do their general Common App essay [but] they’ll make it specific to the college that they apply to, not realizing that the general essay is what all colleges have access to if they submit their application to them,” Turner said.
Turner also urges students to not wait until the last minute to send anything in. Thoroughness is critical for a good application, but admissions directors also like to see applicants who are efficient, organized and ahead of their deadlines.
“I think what has surprised me is that these students are very much waiting until the deadline to submit their applications, so I think that they’re just probably a little bit anxious about it and want it to be perfect,” Turner said. “But we as universities love when they do submit them prior to the deadline.”
As for the essays themselves, representatives strongly urged applicants to be true to themselves in their writing. According to Admission Counselor of Eckerd College Cydney Socias, there is no precise detail that readers are looking for and no specific mold essays need to fit into — they just want an authentic peek into the student’s life and what is meaningful to them.
“I think when it comes to the essays, some students are writing what they think that we want to hear. But really, we’re looking for students who are able to write an essay about something that they’re passionate about or something that’s really affected or changed them,” Socias said. “We definitely prioritize a unique essay.”
A similar sentiment was shared by Assistant Dean of Admissions at Wake Forest University Destiny Peterson, who agreed that students should avoid trying to shape their supplementals into what they think an essay reader would like. Instead, she encourages applicants to show their personality through their writing.
“Admissions can be so focused on the academic side of things. So, we really want to know more about the student, what’s important to you [and] maybe something that we can’t see just by reading your application and learning about [academics],” Peterson said. “So really use it as an opportunity to share a little bit more about what’s important to you and your personality.”
Associate Director at IE University Faustine Decroocq also encourages applicants to show their own true colors in their writing. She shares how students feel the need to compare themselves to other applicants too much, rather than staying focused in their own lane of their college application journey.
“The whole idea is to focus on yourself and whether you are a good fit because that is what schools want to see,” Decroocq said. “The whole comparison process makes this whole process way more stressful than easy. So, focusing on yourself is the best investment.”
Across the board, these college representatives expressed genuine passion for their work. For many, meeting students drives them to stay curious and motivated to visit different schools with people who have diverse passions and backgrounds.
“I love getting to talk to new people every day, since in the admissions world every day is different,” Hunsinger said. “Even though we are all doing the same type of things, there are changes every day that happen with my job and I really enjoy them.”
Now that college application deadlines are approaching, applicants can view it as a time to be proud and confident in all of the hard work each student has put into their application. With competition rising and many futures uncertain, students should apply this reassurance towards all the “what-ifs.” It is time to take a deep breath, stay focused and show these colleges who they truly are.
“It’s nice to be a part of this really exciting journey that you guys are starting on,” Decroocq said. “Everybody’s got different options, and there’s no wrong choice.”
