I keep looking up common app mistakes to avoid because I am paranoid I will mess up something tiny right before submitting. The essays are one thing, but I am more worried about the random details that make an application look sloppy even if the writing is decent.
Right now my biggest concerns are:
- activity descriptions getting cut off and sounding weird
- putting the same accomplishment in too many sections
- accidentally having different tones between the personal statement and supplements
- tiny formatting issues that look fine on one screen and bad on another
- forgetting school-specific questions after focusing too much on the main Common App
For people who already submitted, what were the most common app mistakes to avoid that nobody talks about enough?
Also, did you use any kind of final review system? Like reading everything out loud, printing it, having one friend check only for consistency, stuff like that?
I feel like the obvious advice is always proofread, but I want the less obvious mistakes that actually hurt applications.