Building the perfect application: plus: how to write a winning essay. It's only a few pieces of paper. But when it comes to attending the college of your dreams, those sheets are the most important documents in the universe. It's your college application—your chance to introduce yourself, show your qualifications, and explain what you can contribute to a school

Careers and Colleges, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Tracey Randinelli

At a typical university, a handful of admission officers may be responsible for reading thousands of applications. That means you may have only 15 or 20 minutes to make a good impression. How can you do it? It helps to study the application and know what colleges look for in each part.

STEP 1 INSTALL YOUR PERSONAL DATA

The first few items on the application--name, address, citizenship, and so on--seem like no-brainers. But you'd be surprised how many people make mistakes. "There are often sections of an application that a student just omits," says Susan Klopman, dean of admission at Elon College in North Carolina. Read all the questions carefully before you start filling them out.

The personal data section may give you the option of stating your ethnicity, which you should do, particularly if you're a minority student underrepresented at the school. You also may be asked if either of your parents attended the school, since many colleges give special consideration to children of alumni. And don't forget your Social Security number, which schools often use to identify applications.

STEP 2 BE ON THE LEVEL ABOUT GRADES AND TEST SCORES

The next section asks for details about your high school. You'll need to give your school's ACT/CEEB number (a code used by computers when scoring SAT and ACT tests), which you can get from your guidance counselor.

In this section, you must also list your SAT or ACT scores, grade point average, and often your class rank. You might be tempted to sweeten your GPA a few tenths of a point or pad your test scores a bit. Don't. The fact is, colleges are going to receive a transcript showing your actual grades and test scores. And you can bet colleges do not look kindly upon liars.

STEP 3 HAMMER DOWN YOUR ACTIVITIES

Most applications require a rundown of the extracurricular activities and organizations you've participated in during high school. This does not mean you should list every club meeting you've ever attended. "It's better to have several that you've contributed to than 16 that you haven't done much in," says Judi Robinovitz, a Florida-based certified educational planner.

Start by jotting down all your activities, including volunteer work, internships, part-time jobs, and other out-of-school interests. Then pare down your list to activities in which you've played an active role. Include the amount of time you've spent on each activity, the leadership positions you've held, and the honors and accomplishments you've collected. Be specific. As yearbook advertising director, did you sell a record number of ads and increase profits? As band president, did you convince the school administration to budget money for new tubas? It's important to distinguish yourself from other qualified applicants. "Thousands of people are president of their class," says Robinovitz. "You need to show what you've done to make your presidency special."

STEP 4 NAIL THE ESSAY

Because the admission process is so competitive, the essay can sometimes make or break you. "Other things being equal, a really good essay could pull you into the class," says Dodge Johnson, a college planner in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

But don't let that intimidate you. Admission officers want to gauge your writing ability, but they're also trying to get to know you, your interests, mad your goals. Do not write an essay that says what you think a college wants to hear. "When you write about something you think will impress the admission committee, the phoniness is obvious," says Michael McKeon, dean of admission at Seattle University in Washington.

A great essay doesn't need to be stuffy or boring, either. Dr. Douglas Christiansen, dean of admission at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, once read an essay by a student who wanted to eat a hot dog at every major league ballpark in the country. "I've remembered it for years," Christiansen says. "It talked about having goals that are just for fun, because, hey, life is fun."

Even if the school doesn't require an essay, think about including a personal statement, particularly if it explains an extraordinary circumstance that has negatively affected your grades. (For more essay-writing tips, see below.)

STEP 5 TACK ON RECOMMENDATIONS

When choosing teachers to write your recommendations, select people who know you well. "They should be able to write more than just what a wonderful student you are," says Robinovitz. "They should be able to describe contributions you make outside the classroom."

Make an appointment to speak to each teacher. During the conversation, you may suggest that they stress a facet of your background not yet covered in the application. Give the writers a resume or copy of your application to familiarize them with what you've accomplished, and allow them at least a month to write. As a final touch, send a thank-you note once a teacher has completed a letter.

Can you include recommendations from a coach, boss, or other non-teacher? Go ahead--as long as you've already secured the required number of academic recommendations. "But don't give us seven Or eight," cautions Jim Bock, director of admission at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. "There really is such a thing as overkill!"