What is the Common Application?

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What is the Common
Application?

Click here for the Five Dos and Don'ts of Application Essays

The Common Application is a standardized undergraduate college application form that is accepted at nearly 200 accredited, independent colleges and universties nationwide, including Boston University, Cornell College, New York University and Syracuse University.

You can find out more about the Common Application at www.commonapp.org.

Common Essay Errors

Submit the correct number of essats. If it says "choose one," select only one of the suggested topics.
If an essay question has more than one section, provide an answer for every part. And make sure that your responses answer the questions.
If your essays are on separate sheets of paper, make sure to include them in the application packet.
Use the spell-checker on both the applications and the essays. And double-check the spelling of the name of the school you're applying to.
Don't count on the spell-checker alone. Something mat be spelled corrctly but still make no sense(e.g. "I no a lot about applying to college")
If you're going to use some of your respnses for more than one school, make sure you've used the right college name.

The Five Dos and Don'ts of Application Essays

Do	Don't
Be yourself.Choose a topic that is meaningul to you. Write what you fell, not what you think the admissions committee wants to hear.	"Recycle" essays. Nothing will land your essay in the circular file faster than an obviously recycled or "near match" essay.
Be creative. Try to come up with something different. The people reciewing your essay will have read hundreds - if not more - so stand out.	Adopt a preachy tone.Admissions officers dont want a lecture on deforestation. In stead, tell them how you became interested in environmentalism.
Captivate your audience. Your essay needs to be engaging and memorable. Try to draw the reader in with a quick, enticing introduction.	Write just one draft. Let your first draft sit for a few days. Then review it carefully, looking for weak or dull spots, as well as spelling errors.
Stress the positive. If you're writing about a traumatic experience, don't dwell on the negatives. Tather, explore how the experince changed you.	Work Alone.Ask people you respect for some candid feedback.
Pursue perfection. Quadruple check the spelling. Have your English teacher look it over. Type the essay very carefully.	Try just one versoin. Put your draft through various rewrites to fing the one that works best.

For more application tips, visit www.fastweb.com .

This information is courtesy of Fast Web.

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