Comments on: YouTube, You and Colleges http://www.theadmissiongame.com/blog/archives/209 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:34:38 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Susie Watts http://www.theadmissiongame.com/blog/archives/209/comment-page-1#comment-1000 Susie Watts Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:00:02 +0000 http://www.theadmissiongame.com/blog/?p=209#comment-1000 As an educational consultant, I do not feel that You Tube videos can possibly accomplish what a good college essay can. Brainstorming topics and reading college essays is one of the things I enjoy most about helping students apply to college. I know that prospective college applicants are far more into technology than any previous generation, but I still think the written word conveys a lot more about an individual that any video can. I am surprised at the number of colleges that have jumped on the bandwagon the way they have. Susie Watts College Direction, Denver, Colorado As an educational consultant, I do not feel that You Tube videos can possibly accomplish what a good college essay can. Brainstorming topics and reading college essays is one of the things I enjoy most about helping students apply to college. I know that prospective college applicants are far more into technology than any previous generation, but I still think the written word conveys a lot more about an individual that any video can. I am surprised at the number of colleges that have jumped on the bandwagon the way they have.

Susie Watts
College Direction, Denver, Colorado

]]> By: Jon Reider http://www.theadmissiongame.com/blog/archives/209/comment-page-1#comment-998 Jon Reider Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:40:45 +0000 http://www.theadmissiongame.com/blog/?p=209#comment-998 Peter: You are too generous. Nowhere do you suggest that this is a silly fad and that however popular with the young, it is not universally popular with their elders. In addition to the cautions you rightly make, he biggest problem is that it is potentially a terrible distraction from more central aspects of the application: hard work to improve one's grades, thoughtful essays (which still count everywhere) and, yes, even better test scores. This is where students should concentrate their efforts and energies to improve their chances of admission. The video, however carefully it is made and presented, is a frill, even at Tufts, and should be understood in that context. Peter:

You are too generous. Nowhere do you suggest that this is a silly fad and that however popular with the young, it is not universally popular with their elders. In addition to the cautions you rightly make, he biggest problem is that it is potentially a terrible distraction from more central aspects of the application: hard work to improve one’s grades, thoughtful essays (which still count everywhere) and, yes, even better test scores. This is where students should concentrate their efforts and energies to improve their chances of admission. The video, however carefully it is made and presented, is a frill, even at Tufts, and should be understood in that context.

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