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By Nicholas Fahrenkopf
What do math inspired dance moves, a Kanye-esque rap “through the wire”, and a flying elephant have in common? For students graduating from high school this year, it just might be their ticket to Tufts University. While for some colleges and universities an online application might be a recent technological advancement, Tufts this year accepted an optional portion of their application as a YouTube video. This year they’ve had over 1,000 submissions out of over 10,000 applications. But they’re not alone.
“With social media Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter changing the way information is shared, it only made sense…” explains Andrew Flagel, dean of Admissions at George Mason University, one of the first universities to accept a video submission in lieu of, or in supplement to a traditional essay. “Although academics still play the primary role in all admissions decisions, the video essays allow students to convey their energy, enthusiasm and creativity directly to the admissions committee.” Mason University (at http://videos.masonmetro.com/) has received videos ranging from students playing a ukulele to creating a scrapbook to retelling the classic “Cat in the Hat” story.
These video submissions no doubt have the potential to help the students who are submitting them- it puts a face to a name, along with a story, and a personality. Perhaps there are some times when a video might hurt the application though. For example, one Tufts applicant displays his hobby spinning at raves, and asks the admissions committee if it wouldn’t be great to have parties like that at Tufts. As a graduate of the University at Albany this author is aware of the negative connotation of a party school and can only imagine the admissions committee’s answer might have been taken from Steve Jobs’ playbook: “no.”
The vast majority (if not all) of college and universities have implemented these videos essays as optional, or as a substitute for something else. Therefore, if this author’s… friend… had a face for radio, or if his hobby was throwing parties, skipping on the video essay might be a good idea. “If a student does not feel comfortable in front of a camera, or perhaps would not come across very well in front of a camera, then he/she should surely go with the more traditional essay,” says Mandee Adler of International College Counselors. Mandee coached an applicant who ended up with a rap video reminiscent of Kanye’s “Through the Wire”. She emphasizes that “it’s about putting a student’s best foot forward.”
In the Capital Region of New York- also known as “Tech Valley”- the video submission process hasn’t caught on as much. Vassar (geographically a stretch for “Capital Region”) accepts YouTube submissions, as does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. So far the rest of the local big names: UAlbany, Siena, St. Rose, Union and Skidmore- do not. “[We] continue to monitor this phenomenon as well as other avenues that students are using to demonstrate their creativity in an effort to differentiate themselves during the application process,” said Bob Andrea, director of undergraduate admissions at UAlbany.
One interesting final fold to this “phenomenon” is the economic crisis we find ourselves in. As parents find themselves strapped for cash, the public schools look very attractive over the private schools. An institution like UAlbany is flooded with applicants- quality applicants. The private schools, however, are finding it harder, and perhaps use these video essays as a way to decide who they REALLY want on campus, and who they might even give their scholarship dollars too. Once (if?) the economy recovers we may very well see the public schools jump into this as well to continue to compete, but for now, it looks like a predominantly private school move.
Alexis Avila of Prepped and Polished- a Boston area college counseling and test preparation firm- sums it up well for prospective students facing a YouTube video essay: “Overall, the key to a successful video submission is to be real, be positive, and make sure it says something meaningful about who you are as a person. On the flip side, if you act like someone you are not, try to stand out for the sake of standing out, or make your video long enough to put admission officers to sleep, then you just might hurt your chances of getting into that school.”
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