A Rule of Thumb for College Admissions
Jack Beecher here.
A general rule of thumb in college admissions:
The more similar you are to every other applicant, the smaller your chance of admission.
Why?
Colleges have limited spots. In those limited spots, they must fill a diverse class of students.
If your application reads the same as 100 other students, you are competing with 100 others for 1 spot.
Instead, if your application stands alone (and is still strong), your admission chances rest on whether the school needs a student like you. Still need some luck, but it's far better than the 1 in 100 shot of being the same as everyone else.
Okay, Jack. I believe you. How do I make my application different?
One problem with me giving this advice:
If I tell all the families on this blog to do blank, and everyone does it, your applications are no longer unique.
Sadly, this is going to require some actual work and soul-searching on your end.
However, here are some general guidelines:
To be different, you don’t actually need to do something different.
Student A is on his school’s bowling team. He competes in meets and does alright.
Student B is on his school’s bowling team. He advanced to nationals last year after winning his state championship.
Student B is vastly different from Student A, even though they technically do the same thing. To be different, you can be great at something.
To be different, you don’t actually need to do something difficult.
Student A started a non-profit organization to clean up the parks in her city. She managed 10 teams of 5 volunteers twice a week and spent 15 hours in total helping everything run smoothly.
Student B started a podcast where she interviewed environmental experts to provide actionable insights on protecting the environment. She spent 2 hours a week interviewing, 1 hour a week editing and publishing, and 1 more hour writing up a blog of her takeaways.
Student A worked harder. Student B set herself apart.
There are quite a few students with nonprofits applying to schools, but not as many with a podcast they’re actually passionate about.
Intention is more important than results.
Colleges would rather see you fail at something unique than be average at something everyone does.
What student would you admit?
"I went to the state math bee and placed 23rd. I can’t wait to compete with Dartmouth’s math club."
"I spent high school attempting to patent a design for an eco-friendly trash can that auto sorts recyclables out. I’m getting close and plan on working on this at Dartmouth’s bioengineering lab."
So yes, hard work is needed to succeed in college admissions. But instead of following the pack and applying your hard work to a losing cause, make your application stand out.
You are not the same as every other student applying. Don’t let your application read that way.
Stay different,
Jack Beecher
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