Creative College Applications Can Help You Stand Out
As the college admissions process becomes increasingly competitive, more schools are providing individuals the chance to get creative with their application. Whether it is humorous essay questions or the option of submitting supplemental material, these opportunities allow prospective students to show that they are more than an exam score and a grade point average.
The Business of Creativity
This trend has extended to the highly competitive business school admissions process. Many institutions have had to find new ways of identifying individuals who are worthy of what seems like a small number available seats in a given program. For example, in 2010, New York University’s Stern School of Business accepted 13.2 percent of 4,501 applicants. Due to increased competition, many business schools now offer a third essay option on their applications, the Financial Times reported. This opportunity, provided by institutions such as the University of Chicago, asks individuals to express themselves creatively. Some applicants might decide to submit PowerPoint slides or PDF files, whereas others might shoot their own video. The news source reported that since offering its third essay option, Stern has received CDs, DVDs, film and songs. "Admissions officers roll their eyes because all the essays start to sound the same," Scott Shrum, director of MBA admissions research at Veritas Prep, told the news outlet. "But multimedia offers a free-form element that invites a fun, personal response."
Less Stress, More Fun
Filling out an application can be tedious and potentially stressful process. After all, one's future might be on the line. However, the admissions process can be a little entertaining, depending on what school an individual has their sights set on. In an attempt to move away from the traditional ways of evaluating candidates, several schools have adopted more creative ways finding the right students, according to The Huffington Post. When skimming an application, some might be a little surprised by some of the questions they find, from the thought-provoking to the downright quirky. For instance, the University of Chicago is known for its unorthodox questions, according to the Post. The institution sent out a sample essay that asked applicants to compare the college admissions process to the pursuit of unrequited love. Despite these opportunities for more adventurous students to flex their creative muscles, many still prefer the more traditional prompts. "We sent out the essay to lighten the mood, but it seems that it might have backfired a bit," said an admissions officer from the university on a College Confidential message board, quoted by the Post.
Wait…What?
The Huffington Post provided examples of some recent and creative essay prompts students have come across while filling out their applications. A few are rather straightforward, while one or two might take awhile to understand, or make an individual think twice before applying to a particular institution. California Institute of Technology explained that its students are known for their quirky sense of humor and creative pranks, and then asked the applicant to share something they find fun or humorous. Brandeis University asked applicants if they could choose to be raised by robots, dinosaurs or aliens, which would they pick and why. Bennington University required applicants to design an experiment that attempts to determine whether toads can hear. Then, they had to explain their rationale for their design in a simple and clear manner.
Creative Risks
If a college or university is asking straightforward questions, and does not require the student to get a little creative, then mixing it up can be rather risky. "The ultimate question is, 'does this help the student get in?'" Debra Shaver, director of admission at Smith College told The Boston Globe. "It certainly entertains the staff, but it doesn’t help the student get in." So unless the application asks, it might be best to put the save that big budget application video you had planned for graduate school.
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