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Preparing your application

Gaining acceptance into specialty programs, such as pharmacy or concurrent education, can sometimes appear more difficult than trying to enter the prime minister’s house.

It’s important when applying to some of these programs that your application be perfect. Universities review thousands of applications every term, yet they can only select a handful of suitable candidates each year. Ensuring that an application meets and exceeds the requirements of the admissions team will make or break your chances of acceptance.

Students who apply to specialty programs in university and college generally spend too much time thinking about what the school “wants” to hear. But the truth is that application readers are mainly interested in what you have to say. Why do you want to go to this university? What drives you to want to succeed for the next few years, and how will you be a good fit for this school? Make a strong case for yourself by opening up and letting the admissions team see who you truly are, not who you think they want you to be.

Consider this: As important as grades are in the application process, there is so much more that schools consider when reviewing your application. Yes, volunteer work and extracurricular activities are important, but it’s more important to have depth and breadth in your experiences than mere quantity. Schools are interested in finding out why you did what you did, how you benefited from it and if you were sincerely involved and interested in the activity—or just looking to add something to your application.

Don’t get me wrong, though. Grades are as important to your case for application as all of the qualities that compliment your scores. It’s not imperative to be a top-of-the-class student, but it is important to demonstrate positive trends in achievement and an ability to overcome obstacles. If your grades suffered during your early years of school, but you’ve made improvements over the past term, you may have a better chance at acceptance than someone who had better grades but who eventually declined in their academics. It’s important to keep on top of your workloads and demonstrate consistent improvements in your academics. Recruiters hate excuses, so if there’s a “blip” in your performance, take responsibility for your actions and results and explain how you persevered. 

The final consideration to make when preparing your application is accuracy. Concise and accurate writing given thought and attention will win points every time. Be clear in your statements, be honest to yourself and to the admissions team, and always make sure that your writing is relevant and truly explains who you are, what you want and what your intentions are.

Jason Johnston is with StudyBound.com.

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