"What You Don’t Know Can Keep You Out of College"
Don Dunbar enlightens students through his book “What You Don’t Know Can Keep You Out of College” .
He unveils the 13 fatal mistakes students make when applying and explains why character is the key to college admissions.
Avoiding blunders can help students get into their top college choices
Fatal mistake No. 1: Not knowing what prepared really means
The entire admissions process really does take about a year. Admissions officers only play a part in the process for a few minutes. Most of the student’s time needs to be spent getting everything finished and ready to go, whether this means turning an essay in on time or thinking through possible interview questions beforehand. College admittance employees can tell if a prospective student is prepared or not.
Fatal mistake No. 2: Just being yourself
Everything in college admissions is an audition. Colleges can’t let everyone in, so they have to pick the best students they can find. Therefore, it is important to be honest, yes, but at the same time be careful to show the best sides of yourself. Everyone has not-so-good qualities. Do not spend time on these qualities in an interview or essay. Instead, use those opportunities to focus on the good things about you that colleges will like.
Fatal Mistake No. 3: Nothing turns you on
Colleges want to see that their prospective student has a passion for something. Their hope is that this passion will transfer to whatever subjects you choose to study. If there is not a club, sport, or subject outside of the classroom that a student is passionate about, the next best thing is to have a job. Summer jobs are good, too. Colleges want to see that students are capable of sticking with something for long periods of time and can be self-sufficient, hard workers.
Fatal mistake No. 4: Not understanding leadership
Leadership is critical for any college. They want to see that students will take risks in support of other people. Leadership can be standing up for someone or simply walking into a class and trying to make it more enjoyable and meaningful for the teacher and the other students. Students can show they have this trait in an essay by talking about their leadership philosophy, or what they try to do on a day-to-day basis to make other people’s lives better.
Fatal mistake No. 5: Seeming like a threat
This is the worst thing a student can portray to an admissions person. Applicants who only care about their own success and personal gains make admissions people fear that they may also be willing to stop at nothing to get what they want. Colleges want all of their students to prosper, so they are not going to allow one student to stunt the success of the others.
Fatal mistake No. 6: Social insensitivity
This goes back to the idea behind fatal mistake No. 5. Not only do colleges prefer their students to unselfishly give to their fellow students’ endeavors, but they also want them to truly care about one another and the rest of the world. They want students to care about someone besides themselves and their friends. It is important to show through admission essays and activities that you care about others in your school, in your state, in your country, and ideally, in the world.
Fatal mistake No. 7: Dependency
College is obviously the time that young adults find themselves and break away from the watchful eye of mommy and daddy. Admissions officers do not want to wait until the end of freshman year to see if a student is going to sink or swim without that structure. They want to know beforehand that the students they choose are going to be able to adjust and rise to the challenge. Avoid showing that your success depends on another - parent, teacher, or student.
Fatal mistake No. 8: Going negative
To help ensure the success of their students, colleges seek the most upbeat, enthusiastic, positive students. Don’t overdo it in the interview and make it seem like a performance. Instead, concentrate on the bright side of things and keep the unnecessary and accidental negatives out of the application.
Fatal mistake No. 9: Exclusivity
Again, colleges want their students to have open minds and care for others outside of their social groups. A useful resource in college is other students. It is important to get to know all kinds of different people and learn things from them.
Fatal mistake No. 10: Narrow thinking
Often there is not one right answer to a question asked in college applications, but there are several important parts. These questions encourage thinking through different possibilities. It would be bad to show that the world is black and white and all things are certain. Do not put things in such a simplistic light. Avoid words like never, always, everyone, only, and nobody.
Fatal mistake No. 11: Wasting your special qualifications
Whether someone is an artist, athlete, singer, or musician, he or she can use his talent to get an edge on the competition. Colleges want these students at their schools. They have more to offer than the other equally qualified students who are competing for the same spots. So if coaches, teachers, or sponsors agree, send in the necessary information to showcase your talent.
Fatal mistake No. 12: Not learning from rough times
In response to an obvious rough time in a student’s life - an illness, divorce, or maybe a death in the family - admissions people want to hear about what the student learned from these experiences. These experiences, in fact, helped to form the person they have become, so explain that and the reasons behind them. There is no need to apologize or promise better things in the future. Stay focused on the comeback.
Fatal mistake No. 13: Sitting there, waiting
Instead of looking at being placed on a wait list as a denial, choose to look at it as a request for more information. Here are some things you can do: Go over your application with a guidance councilor, ask for more teacher recommendation letters, send a letter to the admissions director, or start thinking about other alternatives. Don’t just sit and wait and hope for the best.
Dunbar shows us what to avoid. Once you are in the “pool,” or meet the required grades and test scores, avoiding these fatal mistakes can increase your chance of being accepted. As you face your applications, this is good news for the high school seniors who are currently experiencing the uncertainty that college admission brings. You don’t need spectacular essays. Just stick to your best qualities to help you stick out in the crowd.
Filed under: Uncategorized
