The college application is an integral part of the college admission process. The admission departments at colleges require prospective students to complete an application that usually comprises of general to specific details like their academic records, letters of recommendation, personal essays and a list of extracurricular activities. In all this hullaballoo there are certain myths that follow college application process. I thought like talking to you guys about the same in today’s post. Check my list of top 5 common college myths prevailing among students.
Myth #1: Using a Common Application Can Result In Rejection of Your Application
There will be no negative impact on your admission when you use a common application. A common application is a single application form that you can submit to wide variety of participating schools. Most schools accept the common application because it makes the admission procedure relatively straightforward. When a school receives a large number of applications, they get more talented students. The common application is very useful for students as they do not need search for university-specific applications.
Myth #2: Acceptance Is Based On Your Admission Interview
Your admission is not dependent on the interview. Therefore, even if your interview has not gone well, it does not mean that you are going to be rejected by the college of your choice. The main function of interview is to bring prospective students to campus and give them more details about the school and give the school personal contact with the students.
Myth #3: You Have Better Chances of Acceptance If You Attended A Prep School
Your chances of admission do not increase when you attend a prep school. Colleges are interested in a diverse class of students so they want to give admission to students coming from a wide range of schools. Irrespective of the school you have studied, admissions officers give preference to students who are ready to accept challenges and take admission in a tough courses.
Myth #4: A High Sat Score Guarantees Acceptance
If your SAT score is high, it does not mean you are guaranteed admission into a top college. While proper preparation for SAT tests is an absolute necessity, they are not classified as entrance exams. Standardized tests are just one piece of the admissions puzzle. The majority of top colleges look for good SAT scores but their main focus is on the kind of courses you have taken, your performance and extracurricular activities.
Myth #5: Your Application May Be Rejected If You Apply For Financial Aid
Applying for financial aid does not have a negative impact on your admission. As you need to apply for financial aid in line with the college application, make sure that there is no error in either of your forms. To improve your chances of getting admission unto a top college, it is advisable that you study daily and try to get good grades. When applying for grants & scholarships, talk to an admissions officer as they will help you in filling out the application form properly.
Yes, college application essays are becoming obsolete as more and more students paying money to tutors so that they can get help in writing college application essays. Those days are long gone when college authorities can use essay as a parameter to judge the skill level of student. At present, student can easily get well written essays by paying $300 to $500 to specialized writers. There is always doubt in the mind of college authorities regarding the originality of essay. Deserving students are losing out on admission in top colleges and universities just because they believe in writing on their own without taking assistance of writers and tutors.
College application
To get an admission into any college or university, you need to submit the college application form on time. Make sure that there are no errors in your application otherwise you may not get admission in the college of your choice. There are lots of colleges and universities that give their students option of online application. The main advantage of online application is that you can submit the application form from the comfort of your home through internet. For college authorities, online application quicken up the whole admission process. With college application, you need to pay certain money in the form of application fee.
Common College Application
College application essays play a prominent part in common college application. When you apply through common college application, you need to submit essay otherwise your application may be rejected by the college authorities. When writing essay, make sure that you stick to the topic. College authorities do not like essays which lack substance and are off-topic. Students need to put special focus on the word count. If the word count exceeds the prescribed limit, it creates a negative impression on the mind of college authorities.
Use as much statistics you can in your essay because college authorities love essays that are factually correct. Before you start writing essay, it is advisable that you research on the topic first. Internet is the best place for research but before you go this route, keep in mind that you only take information from authentic websites. Your friends and family members that have an experience of writing essays can help you in understanding topic as well as research work. If you have any issues in terms of writing essay, contact the college authority immediately, they are surely going to help you.
The college application fee is a major important part of college admission. No college accepts applications without application fees but there are ways to waive the fee through several inter-college programs. If you are not from a financially sound family, you need not worry about admission to a reputable college due to your inability to pay the application fee. The primary part of applying for the fee waiver is to submit a signed statement by your guidance counselor that you or your family is not financially stable enough to pay college application fees. This has to be done with each application you use to apply to different schools. Colleges have their own fee waiver forms or they use the forms issued by the National Association for College Admission Counseling or the College Board.
Important Facts about College Application Fee Waivers
Some of the most important factors that you should remember when applying for college application fee waivers are:
You need an independent counselor or secondary counselor to verify that you are not able to pay the college application fee and are eligible to use the fee waiver
The form has to be sent directly to the admission office of your desired college
If you have applied online you still need to send in the college application fee waiver form to the college admission office
When filling out the fee waiver form you must go through the guidelines formulated by the Federal Government
If you are a home-schooled student you can also avail the fee waiver form and your parents will act as your college counselors whose income can be verified through W2 forms
You cannot avail this fee waiver form when transferring from a community college, it is only for transition to postsecondary education
NACAC and College Board Fee Waiver Form
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) issues the Request for Application Fee Waiver for students who are too financially weak to pay college application fees. Students who take part in the SAT program’s fee waiver are also eligible to benefit from the college application fee waiver for applications to four different colleges.
Eligibility to Avail a College Application Fee Waiver
The SAT and the ACT program fee waiver service is available for students who are US citizens or foreign nationals testing in the USA. Whether you are eligible for the college application fee waiver or not is determined by your family’s income or participation in any public assistance program solely meant for financially disadvantaged families. If you are really in a financial crisis, you may be asked to detail the type of your crisis and your hardship by the college admission authority. Some colleges have their own policies involving the application fee waive program and prefer students follow their income guidelines.
