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Top 25 Common Mistakes Teens Make to Sabotage Their Chances of Getting Into College

teen considering his common mistakes

Table of Contents

Top 25 Common Mistakes Teens Make to Sabotage Their Chances of Getting Into College

teen making a common mistake
Help your teen avoid making these common mistakes
  1. Not having a quality and challenging high school curriculum
  2. Not working hard to earn a high GPA
  3. Not studying and getting tutoring for standardized tests like the SAT or ACT
  4. Not taking standardized tests enough times to improve their score
  5. Not participating in extracurricular activities or volunteer work
  6. Not researching colleges early enough
  7. Not starting the college application process early enough
  8. Not seeking help in the application process
  9. Not filling out college applications completely or accurately
  10. Not following directions on college applications
  11. Not being honest on the applications
  12. Not being organized during the application process
  13. Not submitting required documents on time
  14. Not writing a strong personal essay
  15. Not answering all parts of the supplemental essay prompts
  16. Not having an expert proofread their essays
  17. Not getting good letters of recommendation
  18. Not preparing sufficiently for college interviews 
  19. Not asking relevant questions during the campus visit
  20. Not applying to a variety of colleges with various admissions requirements
  21. Not applying to safety schools
  22. Not understanding the financial aid process
  23. Not following up with the college after submitting an application
  24. Not considering colleges outside the student’s geographic region
  25. Not balancing the desire to get into selective schools with the need to find a good financial fit

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and there are many other ways in which a student might accidentally sabotage their chances of getting into college. However, being aware of these common mistakes and taking steps to avoid them can help to increase the chances of getting into a student’s top-choice schools.

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