6 Ways to Get Noticed!

As high school seniors begin the traditional right of passage of applying to colleges, things are not as they were. Colleges are redesigning the way they evaluate applicants, using new ways to measure fit and interest. So what can students do to get noticed in this virtual world? And do you need to suffer through endless Zoom meetings to impress colleges and universities? Fortunately, the answer is no. Colleges are offering more opportunities to learn about their respective schools, albeit virtually. The power is yours, students! Seize the moment and make the best of this process. Colleges that show flexibility in their process are doing it for a reason, and they don’t want to be left behind. Rigidity in the face of such a fluid situation will only hurt the colleges. This year may be the most uniquely open admission cycle we may ever see. So sit back, buckle your safety belt, because it’s going to be a wild ride!
Let’s for a moment, state the obvious, and EVERYONE is going through this crisis. SAT and ACT testing is sparsely available, and spring semester grades and classes will look different for every student. So what things do I have control over at this point, that may impact how colleges view my application.

1. Fill out the Application! All of it! Don’t leave a blank space. In a typical year, you may get away with not completing the recommended/encouraged documents. This is not the year to consider them optional. If they list them, send them.
2. Admission without test scores! You may be able to get into a broader range of schools depending upon your high school record, and you are profile-positive, academically. If you are not a great tester or testing does not reflect your ability, apply to test-blind or test-optional schools. If you apply to a school test-optional, determine whether they also review your eligibility for scholarships without testing.
3. Your essay/short answers matter! At all costs, avoid talking about the pandemic. Colleges may offer you an opportunity to write about it in a supplemental essay or section. Your essay should be about you! Brag on yourself; tell a compelling story; tell them who you are, and contribute to their community. And please, please, please, proofread.
4. Letter of Recommendation! Have others brag about you. Choose your recommenders wisely. Help them by providing them with a resume and a description of why you want to attend your schools.
5. Zoom! I know I said you could standout without the endless Zooms, but Zoom! Especially if they offer opportunities for Q&A.
6. Get to know your recruiters! This is likely the most underrated aspect of this process. There are actual human beings who represent the universities you want to attend. Please get to know them and ask them lots of questions. They are the experts in the process at their institutions.