What makes a great college applicant?
Everyone wants to know, what makes a really strong applicant? The one who receives multiple acceptances and has trouble deciding between several really great options. What makes them a candidate that many schools want?
Here's what we've seen as we work with students who have been accepted to some exceptional BFA and non-BFA programs.
Their activities authentically support their interests. It’s not just about showing leadership, in fact that might just be incidental. It’s about showing true curiosity and deep interest in their passion. One student is interested in sustainability and since middle school has always thought about projects that raise awareness about the environment or try to solve big environmental problems. He designed an AI guided recycling sorter when he noticed that it wasn't that his friends didn't want to recycle but that sometimes it's just too complicated. After reading about the catastrophic effects of food deserts on human health and economic wellbeing, he and a friend set out to solve the problem by designing a mobile hydroponic garden that included solar arrays for powering both the unit and allowing the community access to power through its batteries, it also included water catchment for the hydroponic crops. This student was accepted to USC Iovine and Young Academy, Olin College of Engineering, GATech, VATech, RIT, Syracuse and SCAD.
They don’t have perfect grades and scores, though it helps, but they do grab all the chances they can. We've worked with many students who have a sprinkling of Bs on their transcripts but this hasn't impeded their success. One such student wanted to raise awareness for issues impacting neurodiverse students. She surveyed faculty and students at her school and determined that short breaks between classes would be very beneficial, after sharing the information with the administration they agreed to implement breaks and it has had a positive effect on student success and wellness. She also participated in program to study neurodiversity issues and focused on sound sensitivity, and tic disorders and the successful coping strategies she developed. Her portfolio illustrated this personal journey. She was accepted to Brown, Cornell, RISD, Parsons, Smith, and Swarthmore.
Show that you work together with different groups… peers, teachers, and community leaders. They don't just join a club to have it on their resume or hang out with their friends, they create clubs to fix problems they see in their community. A student that was bullied in her religiously oriented school started a "No Place for Hate" club to educate the community about bullying, biases and inclusion. After being bullied herself she researched programs she could bring to her school and approached the administration for their buy-in. Once receiving that she then taught the faculty how to implement some changes to bring awareness to the issue by being a more inclusive community. After achieving faculty awareness she then introduced the program to the student body. This student is now thriving at UCLA Theater, Film and Television.
They approach their interests from different angles: design, service and community. Schools are looking for students who will be active in their communities and bring new ideas to programs. The most successful applicants have pursued these interests long before doing a “passion” project in 11th grade. They show curiosity throughout high school some even in middle school. My advice to students is to pursue activities because they are of interest, not because they will look good on a resume but because they push you to keep exploring new ways to approach your passion.
These applicants are also self directed and self advocates. When I’ve worked with them they know what they want and are open to suggestions about how to achieve it. They are responsive to my communications, and even when their parents are cc’d on an email they are the ones to respond, they are the ones to set meetings. They have self confidence and are great self advocates. As you might imagine, this will serve them well in college, as professors will not answer parent emails.