So, you’ve registered for your standardized entrance tests. You’ve finished off with your test preparations. You’ve taken the test and aced it. Awesome! But, the real test begins once your university application process begins. It is often a cumbersome and daunting task to fill countless forms, prepare impressive yet relevant SOP and Resume, and answering the asked questions in the application form skilfully. You require to be meticulous at each step and you cannot afford to be doing clumsy mistakes! Why? Remember, the first impression is often the last impression!
Skill Maestro lists some frequent mistakes/errors that you should avoid doing.
- Delays in getting your Recommendation Letter
This is probably the deadliest of all mistakes you could be doing! You think that you have time, and that’s where the trouble lies! Remember that getting a recommendation letter is not a task that can be done in isolation. You require your recommend-er for that, which is why the earlier it is done, the better it is. Also, if you delay in getting your recommendation letter, you are losing out the probability of getting an impressive letter (that accentuates your strengths and achievements) to a letter that is only an average one.
- Not consulting Authorized Third-Party Evaluators for GPA Conversion
Most college scores in India are not in accordance with the American standard of 4-point grade GPA. Never ever convert your GPA online on your own! Consult authorized and reputed third party evaluators like Spantran, ECE and WES to get the evaluation done. It ensures you have conformed to the scientific conversion standards. You can be in a real trouble if the conversion of your score is wrong.
- Clumsy Proofreading of SOP
Imagine you’re applying for both NYU and Northwestern University. Now, imagine how embarrassing it can get if you’re sending your SOP to NYU and the last paragraph of your SOP still says, ‘and therefore I believe Northwestern University’s program is the ideal choice for me’! Your SOP needs to be very well proofread to avoid such clumsy errors which are sure to disappoint the college admission committee, as it not only reflects carelessness, but also insincerity.
- Irrelevant Details in Resume
Universities need a neat one-page resume. You need to fine tune your resume such that it is concise yet highlights the relevant details. Very often, this becomes an intimidating task to shorten your resumes. But remember the admission committee might just get uninterested if you include trivial details that are redundant. For example, you can remove personal details like marital status, hometown etc. Also, make sure that you prepare the resume according to the format prescribed by the university.
- Terminological Errors
While writing your supplemental essays, or SOP or responses to certain university specific questions, be cautious about the usage of certain terms. Some terms can mean different things, here in India and have an entirely different contextual meaning in the US. For example, graduation in India is termed under-graduation in the US while post-graduation in India is equivalent to graduation in the US.
- Incomplete Application
A lot of applications get rejected simply because of being incomplete. By incomplete application, we mean failure to send all the required documents. Mostly, this happens when you rush through the application process. When you rush your way through things, you are very likely to be forgetful. Thus, it is always prudent to prepare a checklist of documents that you require.
- Inappropriate Responses
A high percentage of applications get rejected because of inappropriate, careless or irrelevant responses to university specific questions. A lot of application forms require you to write your responses to certain questions. A lot of students fill up this section quite hurriedly or carelessly to save up time and effort. Do not do that. These responses are quite important for the admission committee to assess your candidature. Read the question well, understand its scope and write relevant responses.
- Waiting for the Deadline
Last but not the least, DO NOT WAIT FOR APPLICATION DEADLINES! This can prove to be a fatal mistake. Very often, during last minute rushes, you tend to become anxious and forgetful. Added to this risk is also the risk of unforeseen exigencies. What if you kept a small margin of three days and your courier gets delayed by three days? What if while sending the mail on the last day, you face a traffic congestion on the web? You must send in your applications well before the deadlines to refrain from such unwanted circumstances.
Good luck for your application process! Remember, the earlier you start, the better it is!
| About Skill Maestro
At Skill Maestro, We guide prospective students about the entire application process as well as suitable universities as per their profile/test scores. We have consulted dozens of prospective students for MIS across the globe. We have a physical presence in Indore where we also help students prepare for GRE, GMAT & SAT
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