Future Focused Learning Insights

5 Ways to Make Your College Application Stand Out Beyond Your Essay

Written by Lee Crockett | June 09, 2016

We all have those vivid dreams to make it to certain prestigious institutions. This is not only about getting good education but about scoring a bragging point for the rest of your lives. However, as expected, the competition is very high when it comes to the top institutions. You need to really plan the process and implement it to perfection if you really want to secure appointment in a great college. In most cases, these colleges ask the applicants to write an essay just to figure out their skills and thought processes.

That is why a lot of emphasis is put on essays nowadays and there are professional services to train and help people with their essays. As a result, most people come up with decent essays, and so you need to be one step ahead of them. So, here are a few ideas beyond the essays to make your college application stand out.

Build Online Presence

It is a natural procedure to check the online presence of an applicant by the institutions. As everybody is online nowadays, it is assumed that you are too. Now, everyone has a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram profile where they post vacation selfies and what they had for dinner. But what is expected here is a more professional approach.

You need to have a well-built LinkedIn account. It is better if you have a blog and even better if you have built your own website. It shows how professional and serious you are about whatever you do. Overall, do not underestimate the power of social media and learn how to make the most of it.

Include Extra Material

It can be anything from your photography portfolio to a DVD with some samples of music you have created. It depends on what course you are applying for. If you really have something worthwhile, make an effort to showcase the same beyond your CV. However, just be a bit careful here and find out if the college in question accepts such extra material.

Follow Up Carefully

You should surely follow up by calling the college of your interest. It shows that you are deeply interested in attending that particular college. However, at the same time, you must do it carefully and subtly. Don’t keep calling every day. Don’t overdo it to the point of irritation. Just call them occasionally in a professional manner.

Show Your Interest

When you are applying, make sure that you display how serious you are. For instance, if you are looking for some serious research, you can say that you follow the works of a certain professor in the college very seriously and would like to work on a certain topic from them, instead of just blandly applying for a seat. This will also make the college happy as you are following their work seriously and know about their achievements.

Include Solid Proofs

If you mention some important achievement, make sure that you also provide some solid proof that will make an immediate impact. For instance if you have published an article in a newspaper, that is surely a great achievement. However, instead of just mentioning it, also enclose a newspaper cutting for best impact. Such small measures will immediately improve the impact of your college application by manifolds.

Dave Landry Jr. is a finance and marketing consultant for small business. He has recently become interested in the digital wallet and cryptocurrency crazes and has been researching them thoroughly. He hopes you find the graphic and article useful, and he encourages you to check out all of the other great resources on Business.com.