As higher education professionals, we are on the front lines of the admissions process, guiding countless students through one of the most significant transitions of their lives. We witness the triumphs, the anxieties, and, yes, the common missteps that can make or break an application. Understanding these recurring errors from a professional standpoint allows us to better support our students, refine our institutional processes, and ensure we are admitting candidates who truly fit our campus communities. This insight helps us create clearer guidelines and more effective outreach.
The All-Too-Common "One-Size-Fits-All" Application
One of the most frequent mistakes we see is the generic application. Students, often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work, will write one essay and send it to every single school. While platforms like the Common App encourage efficiency, they can also inadvertently promote a lack of personalization. Applicants fail to tailor their responses to the unique culture, programs, and values of each institution.
How We Can Help: We can proactively address this in our communications. During information sessions, on our admissions blogs, and in email campaigns, we should emphasize the importance of school-specific research. We can prompt students with questions like, "Why our business program specifically?" or "How do you see yourself contributing to our campus's commitment to community service?" By asking targeted questions in our supplemental sections, we force applicants to move beyond generic platitudes. Furthermore, training our admissions readers to spot genuine, institution-specific details helps reward the students who put in the extra effort. We can also provide clearer, more accessible information about what makes our institution unique, giving students the raw material they need to customize their applications effectively.
Procrastination: The Perennial Problem
Every admissions cycle, we see a massive influx of applications just hours—and sometimes minutes—before the deadline. This last-minute rush is a recipe for disaster. It leads to sloppy essays riddled with typos, incomplete information, and rushed, thoughtless responses. When a student submits a flawed application, it signals poor time management and a potential lack of genuine interest.
How We Can Help: While we can't complete the application for them, we can build a communication strategy that encourages early submission. Sending a series of friendly reminders with staggered deadlines for different components (e.g., "Complete your personal information section by November 1st!") can break the process into manageable chunks. We can also create content that highlights the benefits of applying early, such as reduced stress and more time for scholarship applications. Some institutions have found success offering small incentives for early submissions, like a waived application fee or priority consideration for certain programs. Internally, ensuring our own systems are robust enough to handle the inevitable last-minute surge is critical to avoid technical glitches that can penalize even the most prepared students.
The Underestimated Supplemental Essay
Many students pour all their creative energy into their main personal statement, leaving little for the supplemental essays. They see these shorter, school-specific questions as minor hurdles rather than major opportunities. This results in generic, uninspired, or underdeveloped answers. A weak response to a "Why us?" prompt is a significant red flag for an admissions committee. It suggests the applicant hasn't done their homework and may not be truly invested in attending.
How We Can Help: The design of our supplemental questions is key. Are they engaging? Do they genuinely reflect our institution's identity? Vague questions will elicit vague answers. We should craft prompts that invite reflection and require specific knowledge of our school. For example, instead of "Why are you interested in our university?" we could ask, "If you could have a conversation with any professor in your chosen major, who would it be and what would you ask them?" This requires research and demonstrates authentic interest. We can also use our communication channels to publish guides or short videos explaining what we look for in supplemental responses, providing a framework for success without giving away the answers.
Failing to Showcase a Cohesive Narrative
A strong application tells a story. It connects a student's experiences, interests, and aspirations into a compelling and cohesive narrative. Many applications, however, appear disjointed. The extracurriculars don't seem to align with the chosen major, the essay topic feels random, and the letters of recommendation speak to qualities that aren't reflected elsewhere. This lack of a central theme can leave admissions officers feeling like they don't truly know the applicant.
How We Can Help: We are in a unique position to guide students toward building this narrative. Through our recruitment events and online content, we can talk about the concept of a "holistic review" in practical terms. We can explain that we aren't just looking for a list of achievements, but for a sense of purpose and direction. We can encourage them to think about the "why" behind their activities. Why did they choose to volunteer at an animal shelter? How did their part-time job teach them about responsibility? By framing the application as a storytelling opportunity, we empower students to connect the dots for us, making our job as reviewers both easier and more rewarding.
Recommendation Letter Mishaps
Students often underestimate the strategic importance of recommendation letters. They may ask teachers at the last minute, choose instructors who don't know them well, or fail to provide their recommenders with adequate information. The result is a generic letter that does little to enhance the application. A lukewarm or impersonal letter can be more damaging than no letter at all.
How We Can Help: Clear guidance is crucial. Our application instructions and FAQ sections should include a dedicated part on selecting recommenders. We can advise students to choose teachers from recent, core academic subjects who saw them engage, struggle, and grow. We should also encourage students to provide their recommenders with a "brag sheet"—a document outlining their academic goals, key achievements, and even a draft of their personal statement. This gives the recommender the context they need to write a specific and impactful letter. On our end, making the submission process for recommenders as simple and streamlined as possible removes technical barriers and shows we value their time.
The Final Review: Missing the Obvious
After spending weeks or months on an application, it’s easy to develop tunnel vision. Students often fail to do one final, thorough proofread before hitting submit. This results in embarrassing typos, grammatical errors, or even factual mistakes—like mentioning the wrong university's name in a supplemental essay. These may seem like small issues, but they can project an image of carelessness.
How We Can Help: Simple reminders can be powerful. A final checklist in the application portal or a "Before You Submit" email can prompt students to take that one last look. We can suggest they read their essays aloud or have a trusted friend, parent, or counselor review them. This external perspective is invaluable for catching errors the applicant has become blind to. By building these small nudges into our process, we help students present their best selves and provide us with the clean, polished applications we need to make informed decisions.
