There is something special about meeting someone at for an interview – especially later in the day or in the evening. If you find yourself scheduled for an interview with a college on your list, you’ve got to rise to the occasion style-wise.
Master the Post-Application Follow Up
For many seniors, once they’ve submitted their application it’s time to check out. Bad idea. Don’t assume the colleges that you’ve applied to have everything they need in order to start reviewing your application. Proactively follow up with colleges a few days after you believe they should have everything they need to start reviewing your application file in order to ensure that they in fact do. Otherwise, your application may be put on ice for too long and in the process you could lose out on getting in entirely!
The Two Most Important Parts of a College Admissions Interview
There are so many ways to ace a college admissions interview; however, two parts of the interview are most crucial: the beginning and the end. Whether you interview in person or virtually, you should implement as much as possible of the advice in the video below into your college admissions interview game plan. Good luck!
What Needs to Change in College Admissions
The ups and downs of the quarantine gave college admissions officers and school counselors a taste of application life to come, as the birth rate for high school graduates continues to slide, and the need to develop new approaches to recruit students increases. As the profession continues to try and improve college access, and knowing that small differences can make a big difference, here are some considerations for both sides of the desk to ponder this summer over a well-deserved glass of lemonade:
Colleges—move your deadline dates. November 1 (early applications), January 1 (regular applications), and May 1 (many deposits) are all big dates in the college application world—and they all fell on a Sunday or a holiday this year. I don’t understand this, since the admissions offices weren’t open, and the vast majority of high school seniors had no access to counselors or other application helpers the day of and before the deadlines.
This needs to change. Yes, students need to be responsible, and should learn to plan ahead—but perhaps that lesson is better applied to deadlines for things they’ve done before (like papers), not with things they are doing for the first time (like applying to college). The first Tuesday in November, the second Tuesday in January, and the first Tuesday in May would solve this problem nicely, increasing the quality and quantity of applications to boot. Georgia Tech made the move, and they get kaboodles of applications. It’s an easy, but important, change.
High Schools—stop working holidays. Moving the January 1 deadline to a date when high schools are in session is also overdue for school counselors, who have taken a serious shellacking this year with all the student mental health issues arising from COVID. School counselors have always been overworked, but never able to use the December holidays to recover, since they were expected to help their students make January 1 college deadlines.
It’s time to take a stand. Assuming the colleges move their deadlines, counselors need to learn to let go. Send a note to all senior families early in November, letting them know your vacation is—well, a vacation. If you really can’t let go of your students for that long—or if the colleges unwisely cling to January 1– set two days of vacation for online office hours, and take a breath all the other days. You have mastered online office hours this year. Let them be your friend.
Colleges—keep innovating. One (and perhaps the only) upside of the quarantine was the ability of college admissions offices to adapt major chunks of their traditional approach to recruitment. Test optional, drive-thru tours, and online high school visits suggested it might be OK for everyone to get their hopes up, that some real college admissions reform was in the air.
Yes. Well.
In a post-vaccine world, we see more signs of returning to “normal” than creating new normal. Reinventing the entire admissions process is no easy feat, to be sure, but how hard might it be for admissions offices to spend half a day this summer doing “What ifs” to one part of the application process? Do that for five years, and you have a new admissions paradigm, and a more accessible one—the thing you say you keep wanting.
High schools— mental health and college access aren’t either/or. I will legitimately blow my top if I read one more post from a high school counselor insisting that the increase in COVID-related mental health needs makes it impossible to do any effective college counseling.
School counseling as a profession has long been showing a mental health bias at the expense of quality college counseling, and this year just seems to have widened the gap. Counselor training programs plant the seeds of this bias— training programs devote about 7 classes to mental health training, and none to college counseling—and all of this must stop, if only because the dichotomy is a false one.
Discouraged, depressed high school students light up like a hilltop church on Christmas Eve when I tell them college gives them a fresh start to life and learning, proof enough that college counseling affects mental health. That, plus the American School Counselor Association says college counseling is part of the job. Counselors truly are overworked, so they can’t do everything they want in any part of counseling. That said, college can still be part of a key to a better self. More counselors need to see that, and act on it.
Everyone—stop beating up on the Ivies. The Ivies and their equally tough-to-get-into institutions largely decided to go test optional this year. For some reason, this gave a lot of students with B averages the hope that they too could pahk the cah in the yahd, now that they didn’t have to reveal their test scores.
So—more students applied to the Ivies this year than last year. The Ivies didn’t admit more students this year than last year. That means their admit rate had to go down, and more students were denied.
That isn’t news—it’s math. And if you want to blame the Ivies for encouraging students to apply who didn’t really stand a chance of getting in, you’re going to need to make a thousand more jackets for that club. If you think the Ivies take too few Pell-eligible students, say that. If you think they admit too many legacies, stay that. But don’t beat them up for proving the laws of basic ratios. Any other college in their shoes would have to do the same thing. (Besides, it’s the national media who has left our society with the impression that there are only 25 colleges in America.)
Everyone—about Kiddos. It’s no secret that college is largely a time of youth, especially with the expansion of adolescence into the early twenties and beyond. But college is also a time to help young people embrace the opportunities of adulthood, skills and attitudes that sometimes require setting the desires of self to one side.
This goal would be more easily achieved if we saw students—and if they saw themselves– as capable of embracing a larger sense of self by referring to them as students, not Kiddos. They don’t need to grow up in a hurry or, with the right kind of help, succumb to the media images of college choice as a high stakes pressure cooker. But they also need something more than just a pat on the head and a verbal affirmation that’s the equivalent of a lollipop. Let’s try calling them students.
Demonstrate Interest in DigiPen, Get a Computer
DigiPen Institute of Technology is taking rewards for demonstrating interest to a new level.
While many colleges and universities reward students who demonstrate interest (including visiting campus, communication via phone or email with an admissions officer, taking part in a regional information session, etc.) with an edge in the admissions process, DigiPen has announced that through August 13, 2021, when prospective students attend any of its Online Information Sessions, Degree Program Deep Dive sessions, or Preview Days, they will automatically receive an entry for a chance to win a laptop computer (with specifications meeting the requirements for incoming DigiPen students). Students may receive an additional entry each time they attend a qualifying event during this period, but no more than one entry per event per registered attendee. For more information on full rules click here.
DigiPen is a private, for-profit university based in Redmond, Washington with additional campuses in Singapore and Bilbao, Spain. It’s best known for offering degree programs in computer science, animation, video game development, game design, sound design, and computer engineering. In 2019, Animation Career Review ranked DigiPen as the sixth best Video Game University in the United States and Princeton Review ranked DigiPen as number four on its annual list of “Top 50 Undergraduate Schools to Study Game Design.”
How to Get Accepted to Your Dream College of Choice
Applying to your top-choice dream college can be an experience rich with both excitement and anxiety. For competitive colleges and universities, particularly Ivy League schools, students are faced with rigid academic standards and fierce competition to get accepted.
Beyond the basics like coursework and test scores, demonstrating your interest early in the application process can leave you miles ahead of the competition. If you’re interested in exploring different ways to get into your dream college, here we’ll cover several additional things you can do to maximize your chances of admission.
Take Advantage of Summer
While many students feel they need a relevant summer job or internship to stand out, there are many different summer extracurricular activities available that have a very low barrier to entry.
Even when times may be shaky or uncertain, projects like volunteering, building your own website, or even starting your own business are within reach for most students. Admissions officers like to see tangible displays of students who are proactive, creative, scrappy, or the display of qualities like leadership and compassion. Invest in your own brainstorming session to cultivate ways you can leverage summer to level-up your college application.
Improve Your Grades
While it may seem obvious to most, the best way to get into your dream school is to improve your academic profile. Most schools have minimum GPA requirements that applicants need to attain for an application to even be considered. Yet, for more competitive schools, having a GPA at the minimum level of requirement is oftentimes not enough.
Consistently performing well on exams and homework assignments is a must. This takes diligent studying and being at peak performance on test day. But in some cases, having a good relationship with teachers can also work to your advantage. Actively displaying your drive to succeed and communicating your need for a target grade can sometimes lead to additional opportunities, like extra credit, that may have otherwise been unavailable.
Display a Strong Work Ethic
In addition to strong academic performance, schools are inclined to admit students with a strong track record outside the classroom. If you’re displaying a strong sense of work ethic in matters related to your desired area of study, you’ll likely stand out from other applicants.
Some of the obvious ways to display work ethic are part-time jobs, internships, or volunteer programs. But if these options are limited, there’s nothing stopping you from creating your own form of work. This shows you are capable of having initiative and adjusting your priorities all while providing valuable real-world experience. Combined with achieving good grades and extracurricular involvement, you’ll likely make more of an impression on admissions officers.
Show ‘Demonstrated Interest’
Colleges and universities ultimately want to improve their yield, which is the percentage of admitted students who enroll after being admitted. One way admissions officers at many colleges do this is by assessing students’ “demonstrated interest.” These are indications of students showing interest in the school, such as visiting the campus, taking a tour, or scheduling an interview. Generally, these indicators increase the likelihood that a student will enroll if admitted. So if you’re proactively showing demonstrated interest in your dream college, you could very well improve the relevance of your application to those making the call on whether or not to admit you.
Write a Standout Personal Statement or Essay
Personal statements and essays are powerful ways to level-up your application. Ideally, you want to strike that perfect balance between being professional and personalized to help you stand out. Using your unique voice is important, but in a way that is authentic and well-articulated.
Even students with strong academic and extracurricular records can struggle with personal statements and essay prompts. There’s no shame in getting help with brainstorming, proofreading, and editing drafts. Teachers, parents, and admission counselors are all good resources. Other tools like CollegeMeister also provide valuable assistance in helping students energize application essays.
Your application essays should have a rhythm all their own.
Receive Glowing Letters of Recommendation
Most competitive colleges and universities in the United States will require you or allow you to submit letters of recommendation, generally from teachers, counselors, and sometimes even employers. This helps give admission officers an alternative perspective about you and what you can bring to their institution.
When looking at this from a long-game perspective, the best advice here is to make a positive impression on those around you throughout your academic career. You want to show your teachers and employers that you’re genuinely respectful, compassionate, and have a strong work ethic.
In addition to educators, some of the best letters of recommendation come from coaches and counselors who have experience working with you – whether as part of a team, club, extracurricular program, or student organization. Oftentimes, these types of recommendation letters will offer greater insight into what kind of person you are and why your dream school should admit you.
There’s no magic formula for getting into your dream college of choice. But with the right approach and a solid understanding of what makes for a strong application, applying to your college of choice can be an empowering process – especially when the big envelope arrives in the mail.
Never Say This During an Ivy League Admissions Interview
If you have the opportunity to interview with a representative of an Ivy League school make sure you steer clear of saying…
When to Demonstrate Interest to Colleges and Universities
To get into America’s top colleges, you need to demonstrate interest, which is a fancy way of saying, you need to flirt with colleges. Yet, when is just as important as how.
Demonstrated Interest: Ten Ways to Connect with Colleges
Colleges want to admit students who will accept their offer of admission. Doing so increases their yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll). A high yield is not just a marker of popularity for the college and a way to boost its rankings; it also strengthens a college’s ability to shape its freshmen class, because a greater number of admitted students can be counted on to attend.
But colleges don’t just rely on yield averages to predict how many students will accept an offer of admission — they also consider an individual applicant’s efforts to forge a relationship with the college. This effort by the student is known as demonstrated interest. Be certain not to underestimate its significance. Demonstrated interest can represent a critical factor for an otherwise qualified applicant, with an increasing role in admissions decisions.
Colleges know that to some extent, substantial demonstrated interest signals a student’s intentions to enroll if admitted. After all, it’s difficult to dedicate the time and genuine interest it takes to make an impact at more than a handful of colleges. Think carefully about which few schools will receive your greatest time and attention.
To enhance your application efforts, look for opportunities to demonstrate your interest by developing your connection with the college and the people who represent it. Here are ten ways to help you get started:
1. Visit the college’s website, find the Admissions page, and submit a request for information. Open — and at least scan — any subsequent email the school sends you. (Yes, the college can track whether or not you opened the email!)
2. While you are on the website, visit the college’s official social media page. Some schools may simply provide a link to, for example, their Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, and/or iTunes University page. Others may have a more robust social media presence.
Amherst College, for example, provides a grid with social media options for not only the College, but also academic departments, athletic teams, services, and even Amherst’s president. Syracuse University boasts a Social Media Directory with more than 100 listings — you can follow their study abroad programs, residence life, recreation services, sustainability efforts, bookstore, honors program, Greek Life, and much more.
At a minimum, follow the colleges you will be applying to on your favorite social media sites. But also consider more specific selections when they are available — you can share a lot about yourself with the college, and help them to get to know you, by following programs and activities that reflect your interests.
3. Contact your school counselor early in the year to find out when representatives from colleges you are interested in will be visiting your high school. Register for and attend the visit. Before the visit, do some investigating online so you can ask a good question or two.
(A good question is one that is not readily found online and is pertinent to you. Examples are: “I’m planning to major in Computer Science but I’d also like to continue my interest in theatre — are non-majors able to audition for performances?” and “I’m planning to apply for the nursing program. What test scores would make me a strong applicant?”)
Finally, be sure to get the representative’s business card during the visit so you can ask additional questions later. The goal here is to establish a relationship so the representative can get to know you and will recognize the depth of your interest.
4. Register for and attend a college fair. You can find out when and where at NACAC, CTCL, by doing a search for college fairs in your area, by asking your school counselor, and/or by following the college’s social media (number 2 above). At the fair, you’ll speak to the college representative (who may also have visited your school already), ask a good question or two, and pick up their business card if you don’t already have it.
5. Drop a note (email is best) to your regional representative. If you haven’t had a chance to meet them yet, you can often find their contact information on the college website. (If not, call the admissions office and ask them.) In your note, introduce yourself — some basic information would include your name, hometown, high school, and fields of interest. Ask the rep to look for your application in the fall.
The summer before senior year is a great time to do this. You can then ask questions such as if the rep plans to visit your school in the fall; or if you should alter your senior course selections to make you a stronger applicant for admission. Another good time is a few weeks before your campus visit — you can ask if your rep will be on campus and if you can meet with them.
Other good opportunities to send a note are after meeting them (you can thank them for their time and reference something you discussed with them) or after a campus visit (you can tell them how much you enjoyed it and why).
6. Visit the college’s campus if at all possible. This effort is absolutely crucial for students who live within a 3-4 hour drive of the campus. Since a visit could be accomplished in one day, it will be very noticeable if you do not make this effort, especially if it does not present a financial hardship. If you can’t visit, use the online tour feature on the college’s website.
7. If you are able to visit, make the most of it by planning ahead. Request to meet with faculty of the department you are interested in, get a department tour, and/or sit in on a class; eat in the dining hall; chat with current students; and if available, register for an interview or even an overnight visit, where you can stay in a residence hall with a current student. Also check the college’s website for open house days or special tours for specific majors. (If you’re unable to visit, you can still email faculty to ask questions and/or ask your school counselor if they can connect you with a current student.)
8. Visit campus again, if you can, during the fall of senior year.
9. Write a well-considered supplemental essay that highlights what a good fit you are for the school. If you’ve done most of the things listed above, this will be much easier to do.
10. Submit your application for admission well before the deadline. An early application shows you are organized, eager, and most important, a more serious applicant.
The Importance of Demonstrating Interest
One factor in college admissions that many students and their families sometimes overlook is the impact of demonstrating interest. Although the bigger state schools and top-tier colleges often do not track demonstrating interest, many colleges and universities are increasingly monitoring the engagement levels of prospective students.
Colleges are trying to protect their most important statistic called “yield.” A university’s yield is the percentage of students who attend the college out of the number who were admitted to the college. In other words, what are the chances that a student attends if given the opportunity? Colleges like to boast higher yield percentages for obvious reasons: it makes the school seem more desirable and elite. With more high school students than ever before applying to colleges, admissions offices need to distinguish between those students who actually want to attend their institution and those who are just applying as a back-up option. Regardless of how much you want to attend any given school, it’s in your best interest to make each and every college on your list believe that you are seriously considering them as a great option if admitted. And the truth is, you should only apply to colleges that meet your needs. Why apply to a college if you wouldn’t consider attending? If you do get into a college you have no interest in attending, you are potentially taking a seat away from another student who has that school on his or her dream list. Additionally, it creates difficulty for admissions offices when they cannot discern who has their institution high on the list. If colleges think you are likely to attend if granted admission, they may be more likely to admit you.
Anecdotally, I have seen top applicants with straight As and super high standardized test scores get deferred, waitlisted, or even rejected at colleges where they should have been accepted because these students didn’t show such ‘likely’ colleges their interest. Whereas, some of my “B” level students with reasonable but not stellar scores, have gained admissions to these same schools by periodically expressing their interest to these colleges. This is not particularly hard to do but it does add another step to the college admissions process. When a college receives an application from a student after having zero prior contact with that student, many admission officers will call such an applicant a “stealth applicant.” Many colleges are wary of admitting such students.
Demonstrating interest assists colleges in determining prospective students’ likelihood to attend, and it can take on many forms. The most obvious ways of demonstrating interest are visiting the school, signing in with admissions, and taking part in an information session and tour of the campus; however, there are so many other ways to demonstrate interest that you may not have even considered. Once you get your contact information (name and email) onto a college’s “prospective student” list, the school may send you links and pamphlets as a means of helping you learn more about it. Although it may be hard to imagine, some colleges are actually tracking if you open each email, if you click on the links they provide, and how long you spend on the site. Even little, seemingly insignificant actions such as taking time to read a college’s course catalog may count as demonstrating your interest.
Other ways you can demonstrate interest include reaching out to professors within your area of intended major at each school and meeting with them if you are able to visit campus. You can also email admissions counselors merely to express your interest in the school – but you certainly want to take great care not to overdo it or annoy admissions or other college departments and offices. Be as specific as possible regarding why you would like to attend that school. Your email will likely be filed under your name within the prospective students at the college, and by the time you actually apply to the college, your file can be filled with all kinds of demonstrated interest.
It is important to remember that demonstrating interest can help distinguish you from thousands of other applicants if done the right way. Informing colleges of your interest in attending can improve your chances in admission; therefore, do not underestimate the significance of demonstrating interest.