YouTube College Admissions?
February 23, 2010 Posted in Reality
Even though my days of filling out college applications are long gone, I can still remember the frustration of trying to set myself apart from my classmates. AP classes. National Honor Society. Varsity Soccer. Spanish Club. The list goes on.
The trouble is, nowadays, colleges across the country receive thousands of applications from students with exceptional grades, tons of extra-curriculars, volunteer work, and a stellar essay (even if it’s BS).
So how does one prove themselves more worthy than their peers?
Tufts University thinks that YouTube is the way to go.
Ever since Legally Blonde came out, I’ve always thought a college application video was a great idea! And apparently, so do a lot of other people. So far this reading season, Tufts has received about 1,000 1-minute long vids showcasing everything from weird talents to remote-control elephants to DJing at a rave (yes, really).
While videos may not be the best way for a high school senior to choose their dream school (may I suggest a campus tour?), they just might be the new best way for colleges to choose their incoming student body! Wouldn’t you want your school to see who you REALLY are, rather than just a list of your (totally exaggerated) accomplishments typed out in size 12 Times New Roman? After all, we’re so much more than that! Our friends and family love us for our quirks, why shouldn’t the Dean of Admissions?
Even though I didn’t have the chance to do this back in ’07, I think it would be cool if other schools followed in Tufts’ footsteps and gave students another way to set themselves apart. After all, college admissions is one of the most important times in a young person’s life – if they’re gonna do it, they should be able to do it right.
What do you guys think?
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Allana says:
Tue, 23rd Feb 201012:34 pm
no way! no university should decide on students based on their 'quirks.' universities are educational places, not talent show homes. save the quirks for your friends….and why are none of the caps on my comp working?
Jenna says:
Tue, 23rd Feb 20102:38 pm
I think it's a good idea for undergraduate applications. Your official application is your formal space to list education, extracurriculars, and other qualifications. The point of an entrance essay is as a sort a supplemental "getting to know you space," where colleges can determine if you're a good fit for their student body based on personality, personal voice, and yes, little quirks and talents. A video would only increase that effect.
A video portion of the application may not be the right choice for all schools and degree types, but it gives students a better chance to stand out and be memorable in admissions officials' eyes in addition to the essay.
nerdygirlatw says:
Tue, 23rd Feb 20103:28 pm
While I think it is an interesting idea I don't think that it should negatively effect students who choose to go the traditional route…
http://www.nerdygirlatw.com
Psitta says:
Wed, 24th Feb 20107:06 am
Allana – there's only so much that accomplishments can tell you. If you have a whole bunch of kids with killer GPAs, test scores, and awards, what else are you going to go on?
http://www.psittalux.com
Derek says:
Thu, 25th Mar 20103:56 am
This is a slippery slope towards turning the admissions process into something resembling a political campaign. Those with the money will be able to stage slick productions to help them get admitted. Bad idea. As if kids don't have enough to deal with, now they need to hone their stage skills.