by Ryan Hickey on August 31, 2010
In today’s post, I’d like to draw your attention to the 2011 US News college rankings, which were recently released. You can check those out here:
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges
While many students, parents, and education professionals put substantial stock in these rankings, I want to take this opportunity to warn against focusing on them too much. Why? Simple. These rankings aim to be objective (at least to some degree), but in doing so, they don’t consider the most important element in the application process.
You.
Just because Harvard is ranked first in the US News rankings doesn’t mean that Harvard should automatically be at the top of your college list. Your list should be based on which schools seem to fit you particularly well, not which schools are at the top of some list.
Many applicants focus way too much on where schools fall on this list. In reality, however, a school’s ranking is one of the last things you should be worried about as you prepare to apply. So Harvard is ranked #1. Great. It obviously has an excellent reputation. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that its rank and reputation automatically mean you want to go there, though. Do your own research and make your own decisions. You may find that schools farther down the list are a much better match for your particular goals, passions, and personality.
So take a look at the rankings, but take them with a grain of salt. Instead of focusing on the rankings themselves, you’re much better off using lists like this to learn more about the featured colleges. You can then take what you learn and use it to inform your own decision about which college should be at the top of your own list.
by Ryan Hickey on August 20, 2010
Is it Friday already? Wow.
Over the course of this week, we’ve provided a brand new blog post every single day dealing with a variety of topics relevant to those writing – or preparing to write – admissions essays. We’ve talked about planning ahead, content and style, avoiding repetition, and using humor. And over the last year, we’ve featured posts on many more admissions-related issues.
But what’s the point?
I’m not asking this in a grand, existential sense. Instead, I’m asking why your’e writing an essay or essays in the first place.
Well, at a basic level, you’re applying somewhere and it’s required as part of the application. But what about digging deeper?
I’d suggest that more than anything else, the point of your admissions essay is to show that you are a real person. Your essay transforms a collection of grades, scores, and biographical information into something much more personal. It’s a chance for you to speak to the reader, even without actually meeting him or her. And it’s a chance for you to be yourself.
That’s why questions like, “What do they want to hear?” or “What should I say?” aren’t the right ones to be asking. You should never attempt to write an essay by basing it on what you think someone else wants to hear. Doing so defeats the most important purpose of the essay. If you try to be anyone other than yourself, you’re ultimately doing everyone involved in this process a disservice.
Think about it.
First of all, your essay is just one part of your application. If you write an essay that attempts to make you seem like someone you’re not, it’s likely that it will clash with some other aspects of your application. Such discrepancies are quickly noticed by readers, and will usually hurt your candidacy.
Secondly, if you have to make yourself seem like someone you’re not, are you really applying to a school or program that’s a good fit? If you don’t feel that you can earn admission by being yourself, maybe you should rethink applying in the first place. Applications aren’t only used to determine whether you’re qualified for admission; they also help admissions committees determine whether you’d be a good fit at their institution.
And finally, essays that are written with a clear personal touch are almost always more effective than those that lack that personal touch, or those that seem like they aren’t being honest. Simple as that.
If those reasons aren’t enough for you to recognize the importance of that personal touch in your admissions essay, I don’t know what will be. For now, I’m going to get this post up, finish my work for the day, and get out to enjoy some summer weather this weekend. I hope you can do the same.
