<p>This topic may exist somewhere else, but I think it would be really helpful for future applicants to be acquainted with some pitfalls, regrets and mistakes of those who have been there already.</p>
<p>So, Pleeeease get into your introspective mood--</p>
<p>and spill.</p>
<p>I really should have started essays earlier and submitted a music supplement.</p>
<p>But I'm lazy.</p>
<p>There's one flaw to the logic of this topic and it is this: No one ever knows exactly why they got accepted to a certain place, nor do they know exactly why they got rejected. </p>
<p>Despite this, people are likely to answer by saying, "If I would have done this, I would have gotten in," or "I made a big mistake by doing this," or "You really should do this; it worked for me." Each of these statements are pure speculation.</p>
<p>You should visit schools before you apply.</p>
<p>I'm on school number 3. It's hilarious in a sad sort of way.</p>
<p>I'm glad it's over, and I don't ever want to go through this again, what with sending all the forms in when I applied, and when I got accepted.</p>
<p>I should have considered schools out of my state. I should have researched more on financial aid, because then I might have found out that some schools meet 100% need. Now I'm trying to transfer, so...yeah, I have my regrets.</p>
<p>4th house: The statement that you made is speculative as well. The OP just asks for lessons from the college app process. Why do you make the assumption that people think they would have gotten into college X had they done/not done Y? I don't see that connection at all.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Don't spend an enormous amount of time on CC. Spend just enough to learn about colleges (if you want; it's better just to visit) and perhaps find a few answers about your application. But, CC is a very self-selected group and is skewed towards overachievers, so the perceptions of this group will differ from a broader selection of people. </p></li>
<li><p>Read college newspapers to get a feel of the college if you can't visit. If you hate cities, why would you apply to Brown? (etc.) If you have an issue with people that consume alcohol, watch out for many LACs and also Dartmouth... know your college's programs and reputations.</p></li>
<li><p>GET YOUR APPLICATIONS DONE EARLY. That's the best advice that anyone can tell you.</p></li>
<li><p>Colleges look for substance, not quantity. Don't stretch your ECs to make them sound better than they are, because colleges (most likely) have a better sense of how your EC fits into the big picture than you do. Plus, it shows an undesirable part of your character.</p></li>
<li><p>Write your essays from your heart and not out of an essay prep guide. The reader wants to hear your voice through the essay and observe how you write, not some bs construction about a part of your life that you think colleges would find interesting.</p></li>
<li><p>Relax. Not everyone gets into top-tier colleges. There is more than one ideal college for each and every one of you. Deal with acceptance or rejection with grace and humility.</p></li>
<li><p>Apply for scholarships and keep track of deadlines. Keep a binder full of them to keep yourself organized. It's one thing to get into a college.. and another to pay for it.</p></li>
<li><p>Pick schools with a great program and the kind of atmosphere you can grow in.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>by the way, my college app process was pretty simple. these are just tidbits that i've heard a lot and think are the most helpful</p>