Application Tips

One way to lower the stress of applying to college is to complete one application this month. Many schools, like University of Arizona and USC, have already made applications available, and the new Common Application is also ready. Just having all your activities and other basic information on paper will make the rest of your applications easier since you'll have a template.

As the trend toward online applications continues, there's no longer much paper involved. This year, Stanford is moving to an allonline process. Admissions officers won't even print out completed applications but will read them online.

The shift to doing everything online means the school has to change one of the short essay questions. Instead of asking students to submit a photograph and discuss its importance, the application will ask students to imagine a photograph of something significant. Students who want to submit paper applications can download a PDF application and mail it, but the application will be scanned into the computer and still read online.

One of the advantages of online applications is the lack of coffee or soda stains on crumpled paperwork. While online applications often reduce errors, one admissions officer noted that students often click on the wrong item in a drop-down, resulting in an unusually high number of applicants from Afghanistan, which is usually listed right after the United States on drop-downs for countries. Too many mistakes make it appear you just don't care.

What are some other common application mistakes? One admissions officer is put off when students list "hanging out with friends" or "talking on the phone" as an extracurricular activity. When you try to make something sound like more than it is, admissions officers see through it.

Many students think they should use impressive vocabulary words in their essays, but it's so much better to write in a natural, conversational tone. If an essay sounds like it's written by a 45year-old, admissions officers might think it was.

One of the most common application mistakes is writing an essay about how badly you want to attend Emory University, giving examples of their unusual programs, and ending the essay summarizing your reasons for applying to Tulane. How would you feel getting a love letter from someone saying you're so special and then seeing that the letter is addressed to somebody else?

Since you want to create a good impression, choosing an obscene or offensive e-mail address isn't smart. One admissions officer cited a case where a student was denied admission to a school partly because his e-mail address suggested sexist, violent behavior toward women. What seems funny to a 17-year-old might look scary to an admissions officer.

Resist the temptation to swamp admissions officers with extra material. If they ask for two recommendation letters, it's fine to send a third from someone who offers a different perspective, but six letters are too many.

Put yourself in the place of the admissions officer who has to read hundreds of applications a week. Think how much you would appreciate an application that is clear and concise, where it's easy to see the most relevant information.

Print out your completed application or application summary and proofread it before clicking the "submit" button. It is especially important to check the word count of your essays.

You should receive an e-mail confirming that your application was received. Print out and keep the confirmation. If you don't receive confirmation within two days, call the admissions office.

The application process is more marathon than sprint, so pace yourself. Don't forget to have some fun this summer.

Audrey Kahane, MS is a pri- vate college admissions counse- lor in West Hills. She can be reached at (818) 704-7545.