H.G. Wells once said, Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe, which emphasized the importance of continued schooling. As the fate and future not only of any great nation but the world, is dependent on the education of its youth, a far brighter light is cast upon the college application process.

It is in the application process, more than anywhere else, that the academic future of any student is determined. There is only one moment in time when the students stuff shows up in the admissions office and it better shine! Negligence in this arena leads to failure, and this cannot and must not be an option in any students life.

The first item that is reviewed by admission committees is the students transcript. It immediately determines whether or not the student is qualified. Simply put, it either contains qualifying grades and scores or it doesnt. If not, the rest of the students stuff, no matter how carefully prepared or impressive will be tossed in the waste basket!

Given the student passes round one, the next item carefully examined is the application. I strongly advise all of the families I counsel to avoid the Common Application unless the school being applied to doesnt have its own form. I also highly recommend the use of Adobe Acrobat 5.0 or higher to prepare the application. In my view, the PDF file format is the most professional looking document you can submit. Using the schools form and preparing it with Adobe silently announces the students intention of making a very positive first impression.

If for any reason you cannot use an application in a PDF file format, contact each school and have them send you their application packet. Be careful not to make the all-too-common mistake of trusting that sincere sounding, reassuring admissions person who promises that the application package will be mailed immediately. Leave nothing to chance. Be creative and take steps to insure that it actually does get mailed quickly. Offer your credit card to pay for a $15.00 overnight or $5.00 second day delivery.

Wherever possible, do not rely on school administrators in the application process, and keep your own thorough and accurate records for all schools applied to. Do not anticipate and rely on documentation from the schools.

Those with Adobe Acrobat should go to each schools website, download their application, and save it on Desktop or in the My Documents folder, then complete it. Before printing it out, the application should be scrutinized as it must be submitted without a single mistake or inconsistency. The application is a test within itself, and you dont want to lose the ballgame before you even get up to bat! Close attention should be given to all questions so that they are answered correctly and properly.

I cannot overstate the importance of following directions! Each application must be submitted letter perfect! Be particularly careful with questions that call for a checkmark for the answer. Do not ever use an X as that would be seen as not following instructions, and this is the most common cause of rejection! Never lose sight of the fact that the schools are knee deep in applications from qualified students and are looking for reasons to reject!

It is not necessary and definitely not recommended that you volunteer any information on questions that are marked, Optional. Providing the wrong optional information seriously jeopardizes the students chances of being accepted. The only thing you want to provide that is optional is a photo.

Given that you have carefully prepared the application, print it out and have at least two family members review it. Once you are certain it is mistake free, that all answers are consistent and all instructions have been followed, mail it either overnight or 2nd day with signature guarantee.

Although I am not a proponent of applying online, I have been assured by people I respect that the schools have finally mastered the problems theyve experienced with electronic applications over the years. Nonetheless, if I were a student, Id use the mail. The inexplicable disappearance of an application, no matter how rare, not only could cost the student acceptance to their college of choice, but the time lost resubmitting could cost families thousands of dollars in financial aid.

This is one of a series of articles by college admissions and financial aid expert, Reecy Aresty, based on his book, Getting Into College And Paying For It! For further information or to contact him, please visit www.thecollegebook.com.

Reecy Aresty

For almost three decades, financial advisor Reecy Aresty, has helped thousands of families protect their assets, increase their wealth and reduce their taxes. During the 1980?s, he mastered the complexities of college admissions & financial aid, and by the end of the decade, he was already saving his clients thousands of dollars on a college education!

In 1986, made possible by a generous gift from the Aresty family, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania established the Aresty Institute of Executive Education. So began the Aresty family legacy; a dedication to the pursuit of knowledge through higher education for all.

In 1999, Reecy founded College Assistance, Inc., dedicated to helping parents provide their children with the best possible education for less than they ever imagined! He is the author of the groundbreaking new book, ?Getting Into College And Paying For It.? Filled with trade secrets, insider information and innovative money saving strategies, it is guaranteed to legally cut the costs of a college education!

Reecy?s SPECIAL REPORT on page 126 reveals the trappings of the Tuition And Fees Deduction which Robin-hoodwinks middle and lower income families by taking from them and giving to the rich! Reecy alerts families to what even many accountants have missed - how those who chose the Deduction in 2002, 2003 and/or 2004, who qualified for either of the Education Credits, are guaranteed refunds from the IRS! Knowledge of this prevented countless families from making the same mistake, and Reecy has been instrumental in recovering tens of thousands in overpaid taxes!

In 2004 alone, overall, he saved families hundreds of thousands of dollars! His clients receive a free financial evaluation that reveals how they can legally eliminate or reduce costly assessments from the schools and the federal government. This significantly lowers their Expected Family Contribution, the minimum amount each family must pay at any college (for each student), and maximizes their eligibility for financial aid. He even helps families negotiate with the schools to obtain the absolute best possible financial aid package!

Reecy Aresty has become a major factor in obtaining affordable, quality educations for America?s students. In doing so, he has restored the faith people used to have in one another by proving that there are still people who care, people who can be trusted, and people who actually do what they promise ? and get results.