Originally posted on C2 Blog
Only a few years ago, paper applications were the norm; today, many schools rely primarily on online applications.
In a few years more, much of the initial sifting of applications will be automated. A program will have predetermined formula which weighs a candidates test scores, GPA, activities, and recommendations and sort students into piles labeled: “likely accepted,” “needs further review,” and “rejected.” Today, this process is done manually and can take weeks. By eliminating this step in the future, admission officers will have more time to analyze the intangibles of a student. Elements like the college essay and interview will have more weight. Additionally, we may even begin to see a proliferation of video essays and a whole new cottage industry catered toward helping students optimize the online components of their applications. For some the future is already now: check out this video made by a C2 student as a supplement to his Yale application!
A rather amazing and frightening future, don’t you think?
But, what’s happening now? Colleges and universities have been moving away from paper applications for years. Online applications have soared, thanks in large part to the Common App and the Universal App. With this proliferation of online applications, students now apply to more schools than ever, sometimes applying to more than a dozen different colleges and universities resulting in stiffer competition than ever before. It is therefore unsurprising that today’s tech-savvy teens have begun utilizing modern technology such as YouTube to help differentiate themselves from other applicants. Now some colleges are embracing such techno-trends – many schools, such as George Mason, Tufts, and William and Mary, now invite students to submit YouTube videos. And, though they may not specifically ask for YouTube videos, nearly all schools are willing to accept supplementary materials; in fact, Dartmouth recently discontinued paper applications in favor of online applications because the web-based applications make it easier for admissions officers to access links to blogs, videos, and personal websites.
The YouTube application craze is not the only change to admissions applications. At the graduate school level, many business schools have begun exploring alternative supplements to applications. For example, the University of Iowa’s Henry B. Tippie School of Management offered a full scholarship (valued at nearly $40,000) to the applicant who best answered the question, “What makes you an exceptional Tippie MBA candidate and future MBA hire?” via tweet. The winning tweet was a haiku; it is this sort of creativity that schools seem to hope to draw from applicants through use of Twitter. This trend may soon appear at the undergraduate level as well. In fact, the College of Charleston piloted a program last year which would allow students to “apply” via Twitter.
As social media technology continues to grow, we anticipate that it will become an increasingly common part of the college application process. Schools already utilize Facebook and other social media sites to check up on applicants and to recruit students (as in Yale’s YouTube musical sensation), so it should come as no surprise that colleges and universities would turn to social media in the application process. But while social media technology may help make applicants more comfortable with the college admissions process, there could be a downside for students. First, the novelty of YouTube video “essays” will begin to wear off; as ever greater numbers of students submit videos, it will grow harder and harder for students to stand out through a video “essay.” Second, as colleges begin to rely exclusively on online applications, they will be able to streamline their application review processes; this will allow admissions officers to review each application more thoroughly, so students will have to submit even stronger grades, test scores, and essays in order to impress.
For now, the video “essay” is still rather new and, like any other supplement, can have a positive or negative effect on an application. If you have a talent that is truly worth showing off, a video could be a great addition to your application; but if you make a video just for the sake of making a video, you may risk harming your chances of admission. In fact, you might be better off requesting an interview (if you’re applying to a school with such resources) rather than making a video. And never forget that no matter how popular these videos become, they will never truly replace the admissions essay – if you haven’t perfected your essay yet, don’t bother with a video!
Whatever you do, don’t use Reese Witherspoon’s Legally Blonde application video as a guide – though we can’t help but be amused that the makers of the film caught on to this trend in 2001, long before the advent of YouTube. In order to make sure that your video “essay” will help your chances of admission rather than hinder them, follow this list of video do’s and don’ts:
- DO check the school’s policy on supplemental materials first. At many schools, the number of applicants has increased exponentially, but the number of admissions officers hasn’t – unwanted videos may never be seen or may be considered a nuisance.
- DO use videos to showcase special talents. Videos are especially helpful for thespians, athletes, and singers since these talents can’t be properly demonstrated in a traditional application essay.
- DO look at what other applicants have done. By viewing videos from other applicants – especially applicants at the same school you are applying to – you can find inspiration and guidance.
- DO plan ahead. Decide what you want to convey in your video, write out a script, gather your props, rehearse, get feedback, edit your script, and film more than one take. A video “essay” is like a written essay – both require multiple drafts and lots of work!
- DO relax. You should sound natural in your video – after all, the whole point of a video is to help admissions officers get to know you!
- DO follow directions. If the school provides a prompt, make sure you respond to it. If there is a time limit, respect it. And if there aren’t any instructions provided, remember to keep it brief! Admissions officers don’t have the time or inclination to watch a lengthy video, so aim to keep it under a minute.
- DON’T feel like you have to submit a video. If you don’t have anything worthwhile to share in a video, don’t make one! Making a video simply for the sake of being able to submit a video isn’t likely to add to your application and may actually harm your chances of admission.
- DON’T over-edit. The purpose of these videos is for the admissions officers to see YOU – production value isn’t what they’re looking for.
- DON’T embarrass future you. Remember that these videos may float around the internet for eternity, so don’t do anything you wouldn’t want a future potential employer to see!
- DON’T wing it. If you’re going to make a video, do it right.
