College Advising: Meeting Application Deadlines

With college application deadlines popping up all over the calendar, it is time to think ahead. When you’re motivated in school and you have a paper due in two weeks, you start it right away—right? The same goes with college applications. I know many students actually finish their apps on the day of the deadline and try to submit before 11:59 (just like that paper, hmm.)  Oh the rush of success!  But what if something goes wrong and in your own panic, you can’t figure out the Error Messages? What if your favorite school has a deadline over the weekend and no one answers the “Help Desk?” What then?

The only out seems to be to hop in your Time Machine and zip back a few days.  It was a Wednesday when you met exactly the same Error Message, called the school’s Admissions counselor or the Help Desk and got everything straightened out.  Or, you called a friend who was applying to the same school. Or, you called your independent counselor and set up an appointment. Or, you printed out the application, hopped a plane, and delivered it in person! Ah, the options…

When things go wrong over the weekend and there is no one to call, I suggest keeping a log of each of your actions. This will help calm you down, while also creating a trail that you can then report to Admissions on the next business day. Some schools will allow late applications depending on the circumstances.

In one recent case, a student submitted her application, paid, and even took a screen shot of the receipt. A few days later, she called the school to check on the status of her application (always a good idea) and found that it hadn’t been received and she wouldn’t be considered for Early Action! Panic and anger! I followed up with a second call and talked to Mike, a senior Admissions Counselor. He was delightfully helpful and directed the student to the link for application disputes. It turned out that taking that screen shot of the receipt page saved the student’s status as an Early Application applicant.

At this time of high hopes and big dreams, please submit your applications well ahead of all deadlines. Why chance the possibility of website glitches, power outages, missing information, error messages, or incapacitating frustration?  After all, not everyone is lucky enough to have a Time Machine in the garage.  Vroommm!

--All the best from PerfectFitCollege.Net