News Flash: Not
everyone is an academic star. And
colleges know that. If you are not happy
with your grades or standardized test scores, do not despair. There is much more to an application than
grades or scores.
Though the transcript is important, the essay presents
another wonderful opportunity to present yourself. Take advantage of this. Write an essay that knocks them off their
feet from first word to last. Tell them
what your passion is, how you spend your time, why that pursuit is important to
you. They want to know about YOU. They want to know what makes you tick. If you are an amateur entomologist, describe
how you spend most of your waking hours playing with bugs. Tell them that you plan to make a career of
it. If you are a readaholic, tell them
about the last six books you read this year, and why you read them, and how reading
is important to you. Do not waste the
essay opportunity by merely regurgitating what already appears on other parts
of the application, like lists of extracurricular activities. Lists will put the readers to sleep. They might be reading your essay at two o’clock in the morning, having already read
fifty essays before yours. You want to
grab them by the collar with your first sentence and shake them awake. You want them to know that you are more than
grades and SATs.
The interview is another part of the application process that
presents an opportunity to show the college who you really are. While some colleges do not require an
interview, most will arrange one if you request it. Request it.
Let the admissions office attach a face and a personality to the
application. As you did in the essay,
let them know in person how passionate you are about something, how you spend
so much time pursuing it, and why it is important. Stay positive and upbeat. Leave a good impression. You want them to remember you. You want them to refer to you in their
meetings as “that sincere guy who loves to play with bugs and wants to be an
entomologist down the road,” or “that passionate girl who spends most of her afternoons
and evenings at the dance studio because she’s committed to joining the
American Ballet Theater one of these days,” or “that earnest, articulate
candidate with a good sense of humor who likes to read and who – this year
alone – has read everything that Jane Austen ever wrote.”
Yet another part of the application that invites you to
describe yourself is the supplemental materials section. This presents you with an opportunity to
submit an extra paper or report you have written, or a CD or DVD or other media that
exhibits your talent in depth. Use this
chance to showcase the side of you that the admissions office will find
appealing. Are you a singer or a cellist
or a dancer or a football player? Send a
disk of yourself performing. Have you
written a great report that the teacher raved about or a great article that
appeared in the newspaper? Have you had
a poem published in a magazine? Send it
and let the admissions officers see your accomplishments first hand. Give them something to offset the transcript. Let them know how special you are.
For a more complete look at the college admission process, see COLLEGE ADMISSION: A Simple, No-Nonsense Guide To Getting Into The College Of Your Choice. CLICK HERE
