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University of Delaware’s Musical Admissions Extravaganza

Jared Hobson — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:15:43 +0000

Yale University started a trend a few months ago by releasing a song-and-dance, Busby Berkeley, over-the-top admissions video, entitled “That’s Why I Chose Yale.” Hilarious stuff.
The trend continues with the University of Delaware‘s similarly silly “Delaware: The Musical.” This stuff is cheesy, of course. But I can’t help humming along and tapping my toes.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant

The post University of Delaware’s Musical Admissions Extravaganza first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Best College Admission Video Essays–A Positive Trend?

Jared Hobson — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:19:02 +0000

Newsweek Magazine online recently put up a video montage about video essays that some colleges and universities are now accepting as part of the admissions process.
The video is fun to watch. Some of the ideas are pretty funny. And some of them are totally lame.
But my question is this: do admissions folks really think that these videos are important in the admissions decision? They may alleviate the boredom of reading yet another essay about some kid’s grandma or how Marie Curie provides inspiration to a budding scientist. But are they really necessary? At what point does the admissions decision revolve around marketing and self-promotion–instead of academic excellence and performance? What can you glean from these videos that you cannot get from teacher recommendations and the standard application?
Or is it that admissions counselors–mostly young people of the YouTube generation–just want to be entertained at work?
All these silly supplemental essay prompts add to the anxiety of the applications process. I spend an inordinate amount of my time counseling students on their essays, brainstorming topics, reviewing outlines, and editing for concision. If I’m to believe my colleagues at the Independent Educational Consultants Association, perhaps as many as 25% of students applying to selective universities use a consultant like me to help them figure out how to respond to these nutty prompts. Some colleges like Tufts, Wake Forest, and the University of Chicago have multiple wacky essays to complete. Is it any wonder that the college consulting profession is growing? Soon I’ll be a videographic consultant, too!
Have a look at this video of videos. And then think about whether this is a positive trend, or a negative one. Leave me a comment and share your thoughts.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant

The post Best College Admission Video Essays–A Positive Trend? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

The College Application Review Process Unmasked

Jared Hobson — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:37:32 +0000

Brad Ward and his colleagues in the admissions office at Butler University put together a short, little video about what happens to your college application when it arrives in their office.

While the video is meant for students applying to Butler, it’s a great explanation of the process in place at most smaller, privat colleges.

Mark Montgomery

College Coach

The post The College Application Review Process Unmasked first appeared on College Admission Counseling.