Applying to college is simple -- request the form, fill it out, write an essay to accompany the packet, address it, and put it in the mail. Piece of cake, right? If the process is so basic, then why are some admissions professionals horrified when they see the following college admissions application mishaps?

Get your "dates" straight
Make sure you understand all the components of the college admissions application. Don't skip any mandatory sections, and enter accurate information in the appropriate fields. Obvious enough, right?

Some admissions applicants still make boo-boos in this department. "We ask students where they attended high school, the city and state of the school, and dates attended," explains Glenn Dillard, director of enrollment management at Harding University (Searcy, AR). "We usually get 'August 2000 through May 2005.' One applicant, however, recently answered, 'Monday through Friday.'"

Stick to the present
Harding University also asks college admissions applicants to list their honors and outstanding achievements. Typically, you'll see answers like student council president, yearbook staff editor, debate club champion, and peer mentor.

"Although we normally expect the information to be from their high school years, one applicant recently wrote, 'I got Terrific Kid [assuming that's an award] in the second grade. I also drew a picture of Clifford The Big Red Dog and got a free item at the book fair in the fifth grade,'" recalls Dillard.

Mail mishaps
There's one common mistake when it comes to handwritten, snail-mailed applications -- the mistakenly mailed college admissions application.

"The worst we've seen is when we receive an application that's meant for another college," says Steve Zenko, director of college admissions at Delaware Valley College (Doylestown, PA). "Some student sitting at home fills out a pile of [papers] and encloses one in the wrong envelope."

It's all in the e-mail
Chris Markle, director of college admissions at Susquehanna University (Selinsgrove, PA), says a major college admissions application turnoff involves students' e-mail addresses.

"There are times when we see an e-mail address that [reads] something like 'sexygirl' or 'jazzstar18,'" Markle explains. He suggests setting up a free account (like Hotmail) with a more appropriate e-mail address to use exclusively for the college admissions process.

When in doubt, type
If the school requires you to write a personal statement or an essay, and there's no lined space provided on the admissions application, use a word processor and attach.

"Handwritten essays look pretty bad," says Markle. "When we do see one -- particularly one with [poor] handwriting -- it stands out and turns us off."

As if we need to remind you to spell check
Dillard also attests, "We've had students over the years say they were 'undiced' about their majors." It should say "undecided," obviously. Yet so many college admissions applicants have bypassed this spelling error.

Some of those who do know their intended majors also fudge them from time to time. Markle has witnessed several misspellings of psychology and business. "What does that say about students if they spell their intended major wrong?" he asks. "Once again, they should proofread the entire admissions application."

Clean it up
Markle also reports finding oddities on applications like food stains. It doesn't help when an admissions application is ripped or folded to fit an extra-small envelope. "Students should treat their applications with care," he advises. "It's an important part of the college admissions process and tells us a lot about the applicant."

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