Regarding study abroad applications, CheersYou（清柚教育） has exclusively compiled the top ten fatal mistakes to avoid in U.S. admissions. This is an indispensable guide to help U.S. university applicants plan comprehensively and fill in the gaps. Whether you are currently applying or preparing to apply, don't miss out!
Fatal Mistake 1: Blindly Choosing Schools and Majors Without Knowing Where to Find Useful Information
This is a common mistake most students make in the early stages of application. Once you fall into this trap, the entire application process will be negatively affected.
Before choosing a school and major, you need to ask yourself these soul-searching questions:
1. Where do my interests lie?
2. After graduate school, do I want to work or continue with research?
3. Do I want to return home or stay in the U.S. in the future?
4. What programs are available in the field I want to study? What is the curriculum like?
5. What are the prerequisites and academic background requirements of the school and program?
6. Do I meet these requirements?
Regarding schools and majors, CheersYou（清柚教育） has been working hard to provide a more convenient search platform. If you are confused about choosing a school and major, you can visit the CheersYou（清柚教育） official website's "Program Encyclopedia" to search, and communicate with our consultants for an application assessment.
Fatal Mistake 2: My Background Is Excellent, and I Still Have Plenty of Time
It is always advisable to submit your application as early as possible and aim for the earliest deadlines, as this significantly increases your chances of success.
Although it may seem like you have plenty of time, there is actually a lot to do. Taking the Fall 2019 application as an example, CheersYou（清柚教育） provides a relatively suitable timeline:
March 2018: Get a preliminary understanding of GRE/GMAT, have a professional mentor evaluate your academic background, and assess areas for background enhancement.
May–August 2018: Determine your application direction, intensive GRE/GMAT study in summer, corporate internships/summer research, and comprehensive background improvement.
September 2018: Academic guidance, finalize school selection, brainstorm essays for different schools, and upgrade your resume.
October 2018: Finalize and polish essays with American mentors, submit online applications, and track application status weekly.
December 2018: School interviews, maintain communication with schools, and keep up your GPA.
January–March 2019: Receive offers, make your final choice, process I-20, and prepare for graduate school.
It is already December. For those applying for Fall 2019, ask yourself honestly: Is there really still enough time?
Fatal Mistake 3: My Professor/Supervisor Is Nice, So I'm Not Worried About Recommendation Letters
U.S. universities now have increasingly strict requirements for recommendation letters. Students must remember to prepare in advance.
During the semester, professors/internship supervisors often encounter the following situations:
1. Only writing letters for a limited number of students this year, and the quota is already full.
2. Too busy to write/responds to emails extremely slowly.
3. Claims not to know you well enough and first asks for a resume, personal statement, school list, and self-introduction (most common).
4. Can only write recommendation letters for a limited number of schools.
Both U.S. undergraduate and domestic undergraduate students typically take many large classes. In this case, if you don't build familiarity with the professors you want letters from in advance, you'll end up feeling lost and helpless.
So how exactly should you tackle the challenge of recommendation letters? CheersYou（清柚教育） has compiled three tips for you, and How to Make Admissions Officers Pick Your Recommendation Letter in 10 Seconds?
1. Decide and contact relevant professors in advance to secure a spot before others.
2. Pay attention to the way you request a recommendation letter, leaving a good impression on the professor.
3. Prepare application materials in advance in case the professor needs them.
Fatal Mistake 4: I'm Already in the U.S., Do I Still Need an Agency?
Although domestic undergraduate students have to take the TOEFL, which is more challenging in test prep, they generally have more time and can take the test multiple times to achieve a high score.
However, the situation is completely different for U.S. undergraduate students. Compared to domestic students, their academic pressure is much heavier, and in many cases they have almost no time to prepare for tests or materials. This is why many U.S. undergraduates still seek help from study abroad agencies.
Should you DIY or seek help from an agency? The answer has always varied from person to person, but if you're unsure, you can refer to the criteria provided by CheersYou（清柚教育）:
Students who can DIY:
Excellent background (GPA, standardized test scores, internship experience)
Application direction matches the applicant's background
Familiar with schools and programs, clear goals
Sufficient time and energy
Students who should seek professional help:
Significant weaknesses in GPA, standardized test scores, or internship background
Unclear application direction, unfamiliar with schools and programs, uncertain
Late preparation, insufficient time and energy
Hoping to reach for a better dream school
If you are excellent in all aspects; your application major matches your background, requiring no time-consuming and energy-draining preparations like switching from humanities to CS; you have clear goals and ideas, and sufficient time and energy—then we recommend trying DIY.
However, if your GPA is really not high, you can't achieve desired standardized test scores; you're not very familiar with school programs and don't know exactly what you want; you lack sufficient time and energy, or you want to reach for a better dream school but lack the capacity—then we recommend seeking help from relevant agencies.
If you choose to seek help from a study abroad agency, you should avoid the following two types:
Traditional domestic agencies:
Time difference, inconvenient communication
Too many students per consultant, can't attend to everyone
Consultants have low qualifications, never studied abroad, unfamiliar with policies
Material preparation does not meet U.S. requirements
Individual studios:
Small scale, no credit endorsement
Random promises, non-standard operations
Once disputes arise, it's difficult to protect your rights
Risk of fraud
Fatal Mistake 5: Great, I've Made the Deadline!
The specific deadline date on the school's official website does not mean that submitting your application right at the deadline guarantees everything will be fine.
Regarding last-minute applications, here are the risks to be aware of:
1. Processing standardized test scores and transcripts takes time; they may arrive after the deadline.
2. Multiple rounds of deadlines — the later the deadline, the more applicants there are and the fewer available spots.
3. Processing time can be indefinitely extended, with decisions taking up to half a year.
Please do not overestimate the processing speed of U.S. admissions offices or the time needed to handle materials. Also, remember that the later the deadline round, the more intense the competition.
If anything goes wrong, submitting at the last minute will pose significant risks and affect the subsequent review process. Applying early allows ample processing time and lower competition pressure.
