Pixabay user Stonfish
Oh, how times have changed. Gone are the days where you’d have to drive to a Blockbuster to rent a VHS tape; now is the time of instant streaming! Some people lament about the loss of traditions or forgotten ways of doing things, while others praise the rise of the internet and technologies that make life more convenient. What does this have to do with sending college applications?
Sending college applications used to be done through the mail.
Well, traditionally-speaking, applications used to be sent in by the mail. Hard-copies were the norm. But nowadays, electronically submitted applications are just as common. So it begs the question: which is better? Mail-in or online submissions?
There are pros and cons to both.
Some argue that sticking to the traditional route will allow you to stand out in the crowd, or that it shows you’re more serious and mature than your fellow students who do everything with a click of a button. Others argue that submitting online saves time, trees, and headaches since it eliminates the possibility of losing an application in transit (of course, there is always the possibility of glitches).
It comes down to the college.
The truth of the matter is—it depends on the colleges themselves. Students should check a school’s website for information on how to submit applications. Some schools might prefer hard-copies, others might restrict to online-only submissions. It can change from school to school, so students must double-check the guidelines before heading to the mailbox or booting up a computer. But overall, one isn’t necessarily better than the other.
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