Suzan Reznick

Independent Educational Consultant
The College Connection

Inconsistency can be the greatest “red flag” in an application.

A student, who has strong test scores but poor grades or vice versa, sends a very clear message to a college admissions office; he might be perceived as a “bright underachiever” or a “grade grind” without real intellectual abilities. Having a consistent profile can be key to having a successful outcome. For a student, with a high GPA to have any D’s or C’s on their transcript would indeed be a “red...

Nancy Milne

Owner
Milne Collegiate Consulting

Common red flags for application readers would be: *a sudden dip in grades with no explanation *a discrepancy between gpa and test scores with no explanation *a strong transcript, but lacks the rigor the school offers *a poorly executed essay *incriminating letters of recommendation

Eric Dobler

President
Dobler College Consulting

In my experience the most common red flags are areas where students either neglected to include information, or entered information that was incorrect, or had one of their parents fill out the application. The former is a sign of sloppiness, the second one is a greater problem in and of itself. When you are filling out an application, you should fill it out completely and accurately. Leaving...

Mollie Reznick

Associate Director
The College Connection

Some basic red flags that could impact how an admissions officer views you is your academic record and involvement in extra-curricular activities. If for instance, you did not take 3 or 4 years of the core subjects they might raise an eyebrow. If your academic performance is very inconsistent, they might wonder why. Also, if you have not participated in anything outside of school (including jobs,...

Reena Gold Kamins

Founder
College, Career & Life, LLC.

Avoid these red flags

A downward trend in grades, i.e. going from As and Bs to Cs and Ds is the most common red flag. Similarly, if a student has taken a lot of honors and AP courses and then shifts to a less rigorous curriculum, it will raise questions. Some colleges will also be alarmed if they see an excessive amount of unexplained absences on a student's transcript.

王文君 June Scortino

President
IVY Counselors Network

out of the loop

For international students, their application normally done by agencies so the red flags are everywhere. for domestic students, taking the SAT tests more than three times is one of the example of red flags. in other cases, if the student has nothing to share what he or she did during the spare time with no activities whatsoever, including summer time, that's a huge red flags.

Lora Lewis

Educational Consultant
Lora Lewis Consulting

In terms of the application itself, failure to follow application directions can really hurt you. Sloppiness and mistakes that might indicate cutting-and-pasting between applications should also be avoided. With regard to your academics and background, periods of low grades, gaps in coursework, and very limited or too many extracurricular activities can be warning signs. Think critically about...

Patricia Krahnke

President/Partner
Global College Search Associates, LLC

Short Answer: Not every red flag is a deal breaker, and some colleges will take any student because 1) the college is an “access” institution, or 2) the college needs the tuition money. But why take the chance of not getting into the more selective college you really, really want? Detailed Answer: The following are a few of the red flags that drive admissions officers nuts: 1. Low...

Lisa Carlton

Owner
www.collegematchpoint.com

Kicking Back Senior Year

You have worked hard in high school and gotten good grades. As a senior, you are planning to kick back and have a good time. You may want to reconsider this plan as admissions officers are quick to notice a student who puts their academics on autopilot during the senior year. This will be a definite red flag. The curriculum in your senior year should show a deep commitment to rigorous course...

Benjamin Caldarelli

Partner
Princeton College Consulting, LLC

Beyond poor proofreading, incongruities can hurt you. This means if you have a high gpa and low SAT score or vice versa. You want all parts of the application to affirm who you are.