Tips for Making Your Case (Part 6 of 8)
STRATEGIES TO MAKE YOUR APPLICATION COUNT Series
I have received a number of questions lately from students regarding the use of personal information in positioning their applications for admission. The questions range from the usefulness of a resume to the viability of leveraging family history to the competitiveness of credentials at highly selective colleges.
While I will address these and other questions in the set of tips below, I want to emphasize that admission committees are most interested in learning about you and what you have to offer the community of scholars they are building through the admission process. With that in mind, focus on your story. Present it consistently and eliminate the guesswork for the folks who will read your applications. Use your application to make a compelling statement that says, “Take me!”
Eight Tips for Making Your Case
1. Know what it is you want to say about yourself. If you are having trouble getting your arms around this, either because there is a lot to say or because you are struggling to find a beginning point, try the following:
- Think about how others see you. How would your friends describe you? Your teachers? Your parents?
- What key words and thoughts begin to emerge? Generous? Competitive? Studious? Inventive? A leader? A “renaissance” person?
- Choose two or three that are most consistent with your core identity.
- List your key involvements, experiences and achievements that make the connections to these themes.
- Look broadly and creatively at your application (essays, extracurricular profile, letters of recommendation) to find opportunities to make your case.
2. Resist the temptation to add newspaper clippings and certificates of your achievement. This isn’t the time to document your accomplishments; rather, it is a perfect opportunity to give your voice to the telling of your story.
An exception involves the submission of tapes, DVDs, CDs and portfolios that illustrate your talent. These submissions are important even if you do not intend to pursue specialty programs. The communities that admission officers are trying to build include theatre groups, orchestras and chorales, each of which needs to be populated by talented contributors. What do you have to give? Just as athletes get credit for their potential contributions, so should dancers, actors, musicians and artists. Let your talent speak for you!
3. If you are submitting information in support of your talent in the arts, send two copies—one to the admission officer who recruits in your area and the other to the director of the program that interests you.
4. If you are preparing tapes/DVDs to submit in support of your athletic interests, resist the temptation to put together highlight reels. Coaches want to see game films in their entirety. Why? They want to see how you make the plays—AND what you are doing when the spotlight doesn’t fall on you.
5. Resumes are not terribly helpful and only add to the clutter of the application. Most admission officers want to see how you distill the information that defines you in the space provided. If you absolutely need more space, submit an additional page with your application.
6. Focus on the events that have defined your life since the beginning of high school. Earlier accomplishments are nice but they are ancient history from an admission perspective! Reference them only if they have had a profound impact on the person you are becoming.
7. Reference family situations (achievements or setbacks) only to the extent that they have had an impact on you. You are the candidate. Family histories may be significant to those involved, but not to admission committees unless they have a bearing your personal development.
8. Perhaps the most important tip is actually the reminder that you need to put yourself on competitive playing fields where you will be valued for what you do well. This is the essence of a good college fit. You can’t will your way into a college or university simply because you are qualified and have a strong desire to attend. If what you have to offer isn’t valued, your chances of getting in aren’t that great. Focus your time and attention on making the case for yourself at schools that make sense for you.
For more information on finding a good college fit and putting together a compelling application, check out my book, Winning the College Admission Game; Strategies for Students and Parents. Winning can be found in bookstores and online including my website, www.TheAdmissionGame.com.
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