Sidestep 5 Common Errors When Reapplying to College
As the college admissions process becomes increasingly competitive, a growing number of students are choosing to reapply to universities six months or one year after their initial, unsuccessful attempt. While persistence can, in some circumstances, serve as its own reward, this is one area in which persistence alone will often leave students similarly displeased with the outcome of their second admissions attempt.
Whether you were accepted to no schools or rejected by your school of choice, here are five mistakes to avoid if you are thinking of reapplying to college.
[Learn what to do if you're rejected from your dream college.]
1. Failing to reflect on your initial application: Any student who plans to reapply to college should first do some self-reflection. Give ample thought to what may have gone wrong in your initial attempt, as well as what you can do differently this time.
Perhaps you did not exert effort when completing your applications, incorrectly believing that your grades and test scores would be sufficient. Perhaps you did not ask the right teachers to write your recommendations. Maybe you submitted applications to schools based on their reputations, regardless of personal fit.
Whatever mistakes you may have made, ensure you identify and correct them before reapplying.
2. Applying to all the same colleges: Many students make the easily avoidable mistake of applying to the same schools that constituted their first attempt. This is especially true if they received no acceptance letters.
While you should not feel the need to identify an entirely new list of institutions -- some of the colleges on your initial list are undoubtedly your dream schools, and you should not necessarily abandon those dreams -- it may behoove you to look for several new schools that suit your interests, goals and application data.
As with your original search, you'll want to have a mix of reach, safety and target schools. If you do reapply to some dream schools, it's important to acknowledge that in your application -- which will allow you point out what's changed since.
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3. Not retaking the ACT or SAT: While you cannot raise your high school grades or strengthen your extracurricular involvement, you can improve your ACT or SAT score.
While there may have been a number of factors that affected your initial admissions decision, increasing your standardized test scores can help you boost your admissions profile. Even a small improvement may lead to an acceptance letter at some colleges.
4. Wasting the time between application cycles: Participating in an activity that substantively changes a school's view of you is one of the best ways to present yourself in a new light when reapplying. .
During high school, you may not have had the time to volunteer, travel abroad or otherwise broaden your horizons. During the time between application cycles, it may be beneficial to take advantage of this six months or year off to try these activities. This can demonstrate your eagerness to grow and learn as a student and as a person.
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5. Submitting the same personal statement: If you plan to reapply to a very similar set of colleges, avoid submitting the same personal statement. A school that has previously rejected you is almost certain to do it again if its admissions representatives see that you have not taken the time to write a new essay explaining how you have changed since you first applied.
As the above mistakes demonstrate, presenting yourself in a different way is important, and the easiest way to do this is to write a new personal statement. Even if you apply to all new colleges, it is still a great idea to write a fresh admissions essay. If it did you no favors the first time, why reuse it now?
No student wants to be in the position of reapplying to college, but there is certainly no shame in doing so. If you find yourself in this situation, following the advice described here can help you better position yourself to be admitted to the institution of your choice.
Bradford Holmes is a professional SAT and Latin tutor with Varsity Tutors. He earned his B.A. from Harvard University and his master's degree from the University of Southern California.
