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Application Strategies (part 1 of 4)

Showing Your Speed

What does it take for you to be an ideal college applicant? Is there such a thing? Rather than trying to create a standard list of accomplishments and test scores, it’s helpful to approach your college applications using an analogy: preparing for college is a race. But this race is not necessarily judged in the usual manner – and that is because not everyone is starting at the same line.

Many high school students feel they must race towards a finish line that consists of scoring a 2400 SAT, a perfect GPA in all AP or IB classes, and participation in sports, music, and service clubs. And unless you cross that specific finish line, you think you won’t make the cut.

This is one of the biggest myths in college applications for students, especially students from low-income backgrounds. It’s not about the finish line. It’s about the distance you’ve covered – i.e. your speed.

Of course, students must meet basic minimum academic requirements to ensure a successful transition to college – no matter how fast you are, you won't survive a transition to college if your academic foundation isn't strong enough. Consequently, you will still need a strong grade point average and well-above average scores for admission to Harvard. Once you meet this threshold, however, there is a lot more to your candidacy than your GPA and standardized test scores.

Put yourself in the shoes of a college admissions officer. They want students who can make the most of the education they offer. They judge students by projecting what kind of an impact students will have on their campus and, more importantly, what impact students will have on society over the course of their career. Colleges want to find the strongest, fastest students, because over the long haul speed is everything. If admission officers simply evaluate candidates at a specific snapshot in time, they would have no concept of how fast that person is moving and consequently do a poor job of projecting.

For example, a student who moved to the United States in her freshman year of high school might score 550 on the Verbal and Writing portions of the SAT. This might seem unimpressive, unless you knew that she’s only known the English language for three years. Learning English in three years and scoring 550 on the SAT verbal – that’s fast.

A student with a great GPA but no extra-curricular activities might seem a one-dimensional candidate – until you knew that he was working 35 hours a week at a job in order to help his family make ends meet. A great GPA and a full time job – that’s strong.

If you are among the first generation in your family to attend college, grew up in a low-income family, or speak English as a second language, you probably began your race at a very different starting line than the majority of the other college applicants.

It is imperative that you use your application to tell colleges about your starting point and how much ground you have covered. Focus less on today’s snapshot in time. If you don’t, you are doing yourself a disservice. Without this information, colleges will not have a clear understanding of your speed.

Since most sections of the application are standardized slots for you to enter your contact information, scores, and grades, you need to provide clues about your starting point and the distance you’ve covered in your application essays.

Part II:  Your Essays: Writing About Your Life  -->>