                 PETERSON'S COLLEGE APPLICATION PLANNER


Application Checklist

An important step in the college selection process is completing an 
application. Most applications require biographical information, educational 
history, activity and work summaries, and one or more short essays. In 
addition to the application, colleges may require a copy of your transcript, 
results of standardized tests, recommendations by your teachers and 
counselor, and sometimes samples of your school work.

Writing the Application
Your college application is a reflection of who you are and what you have 
accomplished. It is your opportunity to present yourself as you would like 
others to see you. Don't underestimate the significance of your responses to 
the questions. Use your best effort, pay attention to the details, and be 
conscious of good grammar, proper mechanics, correct spelling, and 
neatness.

Tips
Here are some pointers on completing your applications. Print a Personal 
Data Sheet (on the last screen of this section) and complete it before 
tackling your applications. It will help you gather all your information before 
you sit down to fill out multiple applications.

___ Make copies of the original applications. Use the copies as worksheets 
	and work on them until you are satisfied with your answers. Then 
	transfer them to the original.

___ Prepare a separate folder for each application with key dates and 
	information noted on the outside. Make sure you have all the forms 
	required. Keep a copy of everything you send to each college.

___ Use your Personal Data Sheet for the factual information about your 
	background.

___ Investigate using an electronic application to submit your application. 
	Some colleges allow students to complete their applications on a 
	computer.

___ Know why you are applying to each school. Application fees can range 
	from $5 to over $50. Five or six applications could add up to hundreds 
	of dollars. Use a college search program or college guide to identify 
	colleges that meet your needs and interests.

___ Read the application instructions carefully and follow each to the letter.

___ Don't wait until the day before the deadline to prepare the application. 
	The application is a reflection of you. Take pride in its authorship.




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___ Be honest when identifying your extracurricular activities. Colleges 
	want to build a class composed of people with diverse talents and 
	interests. It is better to demonstrate actual involvement in a few 
	activities than a minimal involvement in many.

___ Include a picture of yourself, if requested. It personalizes the 
	application.

___ Present the admission committee with information that "paints a picture 
	of you."

___ Type or write neatly. Have someone proofread your work. Critique your 
	application as if you were the admission officer.

___ Ask your guidance counselor for help if you need it.

___ Submit supplementary materials if required, such as writing samples or 
	art work.

___ Arrange for your official transcripts and test scores to be sent to each 
	college.

___ Ask for recommendations far enough in advance to give the writers 
	plenty of time to prepare. Offer to meet with them or provide a written 
	overview of your academics, interests, and goals. Send a thank-you note. 
	Provide addressed and stamped envelopes.

___ Be sure to document any special circumstances such as a learning 
	disability, special talent, illness, or a unique family situation.

___ Make copies of each completed application.

The Essay

Essays include such topics as a personal experience; reaction to a book, work 
of art, or historical figure; why you are interested in a particular field of 
study; or your insights about an issue or event. Whatever the topic, you 
should strive to project "you" through your writing. Personalize it so that it 
becomes an interview on paper. Write, rewrite, and write again until your 
essay truly reflects you as a person. Try to discuss what sets you apart from 
other applicants but don't stray from the topic.

___ Do not repeat information presented in other parts of the application.
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___ Use specific examples from your own experience and avoid 
	generalizations. Depth is more important than breadth.

___ Be honest.

___ Be yourself.

___ Choose the style you would like to use for your essay. Prose? Poetry?

___ Write a draft and then put it aside for at least a day. Read it again and ask 
	yourself if it creates the desired image.

___ Have someone you respect read it and comment honestly on it.

___ Read the essay aloud to hear how it sounds.

___ Proofread it (check grammar and spelling) and retype if necessary.




















              Copyright (c) 1994 by Peterson's Guides, Inc.
