Application DOs and DON'Ts

CORRESPONDENCE:
Do: Submit application materials by the deadlines!

Don't: 

• Contact the university without using your full name. An email with just a first name, a nickname or no name does not allow a university to check your records and find out if your application has arrived.
• Ask for basic information easily found on school's website.

PERSONAL/EDUCATIONAL DATA:

Do:

• Make sure the data provided on all university forms is identical. When names and addresses are translated into Roman letters, make sure they are spelled the same way consistently. Students should always use their full name and all information should match that given when taking standardized tests.
• Get foreign language documents translated into English and certified. Submit both the original document and the certified English translation with your application.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:

Do:

• Include all your activities - sports, clubs, volunteer opportunities, employment, etc.
• Briefly explain any award that is not intuitive. How is an admissions counselor supposed to know what "Recipient of the EFA Award" means?

Don't: Send copies of every award or certificate you have received. Your accomplishments should be noted in the application. A list of awards is better than many sheets of paper.

SHORT/PERSONAL ESSAY:

Don't:

• Spell the institution's  name wrong. Is it college or university? If adapting the same essay to different schools, don't forget to change the name of the institution each time.
• Plagiarize or use someone else's language. It is easy to tell when the feel of the one essay varies from the others. 

Do: however, have an English teacher/counselor review your applications essay(s) for grammatical errors.

Don't: Write what you think we want to hear.

Do: Choose a personal subject and write passionately and honestly. Consider writing about your failures as well as your successes. Be concise.

Don't: Repeat information included in other parts of the application.

Do: Use the essay to tell us something we do not already know about you.

Don't: Use the essay as a second resume.

FINANCIAL AID:
Do: Find out when the universities you are applying to require you to submit financial documents and Affidavit of support - so they can send you an I-20 in a timely manner to schedule your F-1 student visa application at the Consulate.

Don't: Assume you qualify for scholarship from every school. Each university in every country has different policies regarding scholarship for international applicants. Find out the policy of a school before you apply so you know what you might be eligible for.

Writer: Monice Esser - Associate Director for International Admission at Fordham University, USA.