Jaime All students who submit applications to top ranking, highly competitive universities will have the following: a high GPA (3.85 plus - there can be a little wiggle room here), high external exam results (SAT/ACT, TOEFL, AP’s), a strong activities list (including volunteer experiences, internships, summer programs and perhaps research projects).
If all of the applicants have roughly the same information, if they all pretty much look the same, how in the world do admissions officers make decisions on who gets a seat at the table?
As college counselors, we work with many students and parents, and we realize that many believe that there is some secret formula that will provide the ‘magic ingredient' in applications. There is no secret formula and the only ‘magic’ that exists is the individual.
What is the difference between the students with the same #’s and activities, who gain entry and those who are rejected?
The differences are found in the student, their authenticity in the process, their ability to reflect on who they are, what they value and why; in their spirit of inquiry and their ability to reflect on and communicate what they have done that supports those values and goals in all of the university essays they will have to respond to in their application process.
So, back to the original question: How does my son/daughter ‘stand’ out? What do they need to do?
- Self Reflection: Who are you: What makes you, you? What do you value and why? What do you hope to gain from your university education and why? How do these things you want align with your values?
- Intellectual Curiosity: In what ways do you demonstrate a spirit of inquiry? How does your curiosity feed the development of your goals and nurture your values? What actions do you take that serve as evidence?
- Strategization: How will you present this evidence to the universities you are applying to? How can you ‘show’ who you are?
Students need to be able to ‘show’ who they are, not only tell (as they must do in an activities list). When students dedicate time to self reflection and are able to provide detailed responses to questions 1 & 2, it will be evident in the way they approach their essays.
Tips for HS Students:
Self-reflection is of the utmost importance - be able to answer why something is of interest to you. A conversation with your BIPH college counselor will help you learn how to get to the route of your interests!
Be Intellectually Curious - if you have a specific interest in something, dig deep - learn about that subject beyond the classroom. Formulate questions, listen to podcasts, and professor lectures, read articles, explore, uncover, and discover! If you have interest in a specific university and a particular major, head to the department website -see what they share! Look at their social media as well to see what they promote. In these ways, they are giving clues as to the type of student they are looking for. If the uni site is not as well developed as we hope, but you still want to find material that supports your spirit of inquiry, head on over to the Oxford or Cambridge websites - they have many resources, including suggested reading material for specific courses (majors). Speak to your BIPH college counselor for more specific suggestions!
Practice - Record a 90-second video AND share a written statement of 400 words (or less) that introduces you. Feel free to discuss your leadership roles, topics or issues you are most passionate about, your identity, ambitions, or motivation for applying to uni or x major. If you know what you might want to study in uni, then you should also figure out (and be able to articulate) WHY. Ultimately, you should also be able to talk about who you are, what you value and why, and what you do that provides evidence of those values.
Be Aware - Wouldn’t you love to know the questions that will be on your upcoming tests? Exploring the common app essay prompts and/or specific university essay prompts is the equivalent!
Be Creative - Create and share images and videos within your applications. Showcase yourself, your values, experiences, and goals for the future in a way that permits the admissions officer to put a face to your name, numbers and words in your applications. In other words, bringing your applications to life and making yourself more memorable!
- Create an activities portfolio - you can use google slides, Fllikr or even canva, etc to share images of yourself engaged in activities. Add short descriptions of what you share.
- Create a 2 minute ‘Introduction Video’ or a ZeeMee profile
- Utilize InitialView or Vericant (see sample interview)
Be YOU - Selecting areas of interest you think admissions officers will find impressive does not work in the end. The application is a puzzle, and the only individuals able to see all of the pieces are your BIPH college counselor and the university admissions officers. When students express their authentic interests, the puzzle pieces align beautifully to present a genuine image of the applicant.
Many students are truly shocked when they realize the extent of self-reflection that must go into their university applications. If they want to stand out, they must start thinking about these things NOW. Start practicing NOW. Start reflecting NOW. This takes time!!
The students who know and can discuss who they are, what they value, and what they want are the students who stand out to the admissions officers reading their applications.