The Error-Free College Application

As the deadline period for college applications draws close, high school seniors are busy filling out financial aid applications. But some simple-to-avoid mistakes could jeopardize both college entry and aid.

Oversights on admissions applications include such basics as forgeting to include a high school transcript or SAT scores. If that happens, the college will contact the student (typically by email) to inform them. Delaying a response could mean the applicant might lose his place in the class, might not be able to find a dorm, or worse, he could risk the financial aid package he would have received if he’d applied earlier.

“Every year, we take calls from students and parents who are disappointed because they didn’t get a decision. Most of the time, it’s because they didn’t complete their application,” says Ronne Turner, vice president of enrollment and dean of admissions at Northeastern University, which is currently reviewing applications and preparing to contact students with incomplete submissions.

There are several steps students can take to ensure they meet their deadlines without risking rejection or less financial aid. Here are five:

The two parts of an application that must be in on time are the basic application (this includes your identifying information, your education background, a short-answer question and a personal essay) and the college’s application fee.

Roughly 400 colleges accept the Common Application to receive this information. Colleges that don’t use this form often make their application available on their web sites.

Students have to submit a supplemental application if a college requires it, which can include additional short-answer questions and personal essays. Students should also send a resume that lists the jobs they held while in high school, extracurricular activities and community service where they demonstrated leadership skills, and sports teams they belong to, says Paul Hemphill, a college admissions coach and founder of PreCollegePrep.com.

Several crucial components of a student’s application are sent in by other parties. The guidance counselor’s office will submit a student’s high school transcript to the colleges, the College Board submits SAT scores (assuming they're notified of the colleges a student is applying to), and teachers and guidance counselors send letters of recommendation. In most cases, if these components are late, they won’t immediately derail a student’s application, but it’s the student’s responsibility to confirm that their guidance counselor and teachers have sent in everything, says Turner.