Flickr user Dillon Hinson
There are certain things that are sure to get your application rejected. Here’s a list of things of what NOT to do on your college application.
Send in Gifts
While you might be doing this as a way to show your appreciation, sending in gifts along with your application may be misconstrued as a form of bribery. This reflects very poorly on your integrity. It also leaves colleges in doubt about your ability to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate behavior.
They won’t jail you for it. However, they most definitely will reject your application if it comes accompanied by gifts of any type.
Ignore Instructions
While this is a lot less offensive than the previous action, it still carries a similar penalty level. Your application will most likely be rejected if you don’t do what they ask.
If the application requires you to fill in the details in capital letters using only a black ball-point pen, then that’s exactly what you should do. This is not the time to flaunt your creativity with flowery scripts and colored pencils. Doing this only shows that you do not care enough to go through or to follow the instructions.
Make Typos And Grammatical Mistakes
Typos and grammatical mistakes on your college application do not reflect favorably on you at all. If you can’t be bothered to spend a few minutes spell-checking and grammar-proofing your college application, how can the college trust you to take your education seriously? Typos and grammar mistakes are one of the surest ways to get your application rejection.
There are numerous free spell-check software and Grammarly being within reach of everyone. There is just no excuse to send in a less than perfect application. Before you submit, proofread.
Use An Unprofessional Email Address
Your email address is equivalent to your name in the virtual world. Does your email ID contain anything other than your name and a few digits that have any importance in your life? Then it has no business being in your college application.
A lot of people tend to continue using the first email address they created forever through force of habit. Weird, quirky, funny and randomly created words have no place in the email ID that you are using for your college applications. If you love it so much, keep it only for emailing family and friends.
Get Your Parents To Fill Your Application
While it is alright to ask for help when you need it, it is simply not acceptable to have your parents fill in your application. It is very easy for experienced interviewers to determine whether the application was filled by a student or a parent who is obsessed with doing the best for their child.
Repeat Yourself
Make sure that you cover all the required points on your application. Sticking to one point and repeating it continuously just shows that you are unable to think objectively. It also shows that you lack the ability to conduct yourself properly while exposed to situations you have not encountered before.
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