Contributed by Info Guru Oliver VanDervoort

With the end of high school comes the next step in young person’s life.

It is time to fill out applications and start looking for the right college for you. The problem is that you are incredibly nervous about filling out an application that will actually get you into the school you really want to attend. You have heard horror stories from other people who have gone through the process and you don’t want to end up doing something very wrong. Luckily for you, we have brought you the top 10 college application tips every prospective college student should know. You can thank us later.

10. Include Extracurricular Activities

Some people believe that all a college is really going to look at is your grades. That couldn’t really be farther from the truth. You need to show the school that you are a well-rounded person and listing out your extra activities is a great way to do that.

9. Be Neat

This does not mean that you should be fun and fun to be around. By neat, we mean that the application should not have handwriting that looks as if you just graduated from kindergarten. You should make sure that everything you put on the application and everything you include with the form is legible and clean. You also don’t want smudges that look as though you filled the form out while eating a peanut butter sandwich dotting the paper.

8. Honesty is the Best Policy

That is more than just a nice thing to say to a young child. You need to be honest about your strengths, your shortcomings and your background. You don’t want to lie about yourself to make your application look better only to be found out later. Admissions counselors are also well versed in spotting someone who has padded their entrance forms. Just be honest and don’t worry about trying to cover it up later.

7. Get Good Letters of Recommendation

You are going to want to get some letters of recommendation no matter what school you are applying to. Make sure that the people who write them actually know you. Its nice to have a bigwig on your side, but if they basically write a form letter, its not going to carry much weight.

6. Creativity is Key

You are going to want to stand out when you are applying to your favorite school. Grades and activities are ways in which you can stand out from a crowd but sending in an application that looks and feels different works as well. Find different ways to tell them who you are and what you bring.

5. Be Patient

Once you have sent in your notice that you want to attend one college or another, let them get back to you in due time. Calling the admissions office over and over isn’t really going to work for you. It won’t really hurt you either if you are trying to get into a big school, but if you are going to a smaller college your name might get remembered, for all the wrong reasons.

4. Do Interview

If the school you want to attend has an admissions interview (https://www.princetonreview.com/college-interview.aspx), push to take that interview. Sometimes these are not mandatory but you should always want to get an interview. At the interview you can highlight again why the school should take you and put a face to your name so its not just a black and white printout.

3. Find a College That Fits You

If you were a C+ student you shouldn’t be applying to Harvard. If you are someone who doesn’t really understand math or engineering, don’t apply to Texas Tech. Make sure you are attempting to get into a school where you are actually going to be able to have success during your four years.

2. Work at your Essay

Some universities will have you write an essay as part of the entire process. Do not simply turn in any old piece of writing. Work at it, write several drafts and polish it to a fine shine.

1. Meet the Application Deadline

This is at the top of the top ten college application tips because its pretty self explanatory. If you want to be accepted to the school of your choice, show them your interest by being prompt and punctual when turning in the form.