College applications are a daunting task. You’ve packed countless hours of homework, volunteering and activities into your schedule, and now you have to explain to someone why that means you deserve a spot at their school. You have to make yourself stand out from millions of other students. It’s not easy – three drafts later and that essay still sounds clichéd – but some have found a way to break the mold and make their applications unique. These strategies don’t always get you into that one dream school, but if you’re creative enough to make one, you’re sure to get in somewhere amazing.
Record a song
Jackie Milestone gained Internet fame in the winter of 2012 with her catchy pop song about Yale stealing her heart. Jackie recorded a song after her Early Admission application was deferred, showcasing not only her excellent guitar-playing and singing abilities, but also impressive collection of Yale merchandise (we counted at least 13 different Yale t-shirts) to bolster her chances. Unfortunately, she didn’t get in, but she did get to show the world her creativity and resourcefulness!
Rap your way off the waitlist
Michael McCartin was waitlisted at Johns Hopkins University in the winter of 2011– at which point some applicants would just give up and choose from the schools where they were actually accepted. But Michael wasn’t deterred by the waitlist. Instead, he made a rap video to explain why he would be a great fit for Hopkins and vice versa. One of the best aspects of this video is how specific it is: Michael named buildings on the Hopkins campus and showed pictures of them, mentioned programs that interested him, and didn’t shy away from talking about his own great qualities. The video worked, and Michael is now a sophomore at Hopkins!
Show off your special talents
Hannah Phillips, who graduated from Johns Hopkins University in May of 2012, decided to take advantage of a question on the application, “Describe your community using any medium you wish.” Phillips sold handmade jewelry at craft fairs in high school, and realized that she could use that talent as her “medium.” She submitted a necklace with charms hanging from a pendant, including a couple of sentences for each charm explaining its significance. Finally, she placed a blue jay charm (the Hopkins mascot) in the box the necklace was in, without attaching it to the necklace.
“I wrote something like, ‘This charm is not yet attached because it represents a community I wish to be a part of’,” Phillips said. “I guess what still amazes me is the fact that it actually worked! Because doing something I actually enjoyed made it the easiest college application essay I ‘wrote.’”
So there you have it. If you have the opportunity to use one of your hobbies or talents in a college application, take it – it’ll make the application feel less like a painful chore and more like an expression of who you are.
Find a new angle
Carly Schneer got into Ithaca College by taking a fresh angle on the traditional college essay. Instead of choosing an activity or relationship to write about, Carly got her essay idea from a dream, in which she met her 4-year-old self.
“I love writing letters and I thought a great way to talk to my younger self was through a letter,” she says. “I created this amazing letter about everything I went through from the time I was four to the time I was 17 and what I learned about myself and my life throughout that time. I actually received a letter from the University of Pittsburgh saying that my essay was one of the most unique essays they ever saw and it was one of the main reasons I was accepted.”
Carly used her essay as a chance to write something meaningful – and the impact has lasted. She loved writing about the 12-year period between ages 4 and 17 so much that she will continue to write letters to her younger self.
Hit the high notes
Grace Oberhoefer was waitlisted at Harvard in 2011. In order to get in, she composed a song on the piano with accompanying Harvard-centric lyrics. In the video, she references family connections to the school, mentions the Harvard Russian bells and promises never to pee on the John Harvard statue, all while sporting a Harvard hat and crimson t-shirt. While Grace didn’t get in (she now attends Tufts University) we have to give her points for creativity and for hitting those incredible high notes! Plus, now we can’t get the song out of our heads…
Make a supplement to the essay
Back in 2008, the Boston Globe reported that Smith College accepted Elizabeth Hillis, who submitted a Scrabble board with various adjectives glued to it that she felt defined herself. The board didn’t stand on its own, but instead served to supplement her essay about Scrabble and the way it shaped her as a person. Smith maintained in the article that Hillis would have gotten in without the Scrabble board, but it was an interesting attempt to stand out. Careful, though – admissions officers in this article warn against using gimmicks to gain admission.
Despite how boring the college application process may seem, schools really do want you to get creative and will give you lots of opportunities to do so. If you feel like you have a better way to tell colleges about yourself than the standard essay, take a chance and go for it – if the school doesn’t accept you, maybe it’s better that you don’t go there anyway. Make sure you avoid shock value and aim for something that really shows the school something unique, but don’t shy away from thinking outside the plain old application. Your idea may be what sets you apart from the crowd and gets you in!