Self-Advocacy in the Admissions Process

To gain an edge in the admissions process, part of your job is to convince admissions counselors that they want you to attend their college! Here’s how to do it.

As you start the process of applying to colleges, you mayfeel as if your life is turning into one big checklist. Letters of recommendation? Check! Financial aid paperwork? Check! Transcripts? Check!
In the midst of this series of steps that may begin with an online tour and end with an online-application decision, you may wonder if someone on the other end is actually reading and evaluating the stack of paperwork you send in.
The answer is definitely yes! So as you wade through the sometimes daunting list of tasks that must be completed before you can pack your bags and head off to your new campus, don’t forget a crucial part of the process: the quality that colleges call self-advocacy, a term which could be defined as the ability to sell yourself. Remember, while humility is a wonderful trait, the admissions process is your opportunity to demonstrate its opposite.
Connecting with campuses You may not realize that colleges and universities track the level of interest you’ve expressed in attending their particular institution. In most instances, when you tour a campus, have an interview, stay overnight, or meet with the athletic director, this information is recorded in your admissions file. When a member of the admissions staff reads your application, your interest in that college–as expressed by the number of substantive contacts you’ve made–is noted.
Will this be the most important consideration when the admissions committee meets to assess your candidacy? Of course not. But will it be a factor? Yes, it will. In addition to your transcript, standardized test scores, and letters of recommendation, your interest level is also evaluated. Two applicants may seem quite similar on paper, but the student who has actually visited the campus or attended a regional reception may garner an intangible advantage over another student who has had very little contact with the college.
The good news and the bad news Current demographics make self-advocacy in the admissions process more important than ever. Between now and 2008, more college-age students will seek admission to an institution of higher education than at any previous time in American history. The result will be a lot of competition for the spaces available. That’s the bad news. The good news? Ninety-two percent of America’s colleges and universities admit more than 50% of the students who apply. Those are actually pretty good odds. If you are a college applicant, the cards are stacked in your favor.
Where you need to play your cards exceptionally well, though, is in applying to selective colleges–those colleges and universities that say no or maybe to more applicants than they accept. At many of these selective colleges and universities, campus contact may help move students from maybe to yes. But regardless of the selectivity of a college or university, advocating politely for admission is an important part of the application process.

Extra challenges Some students may face special challenges. Money to help finance your education may be in short supply or nonexistent. Perhaps you and your parents do not see eye-to-eye about which colleges you should apply to. You might have faced a problem during high school that caused your grades to slip.
There’s no doubt that these realities may make threading your way through the admissions process more difficult. But these extra challenges can also work in your favor in the self-advocacy process. For example, you may have worked harder than some of your peers to get where you are now, or you may feel very strongly about wanting to attend college. If so, these are things a college needs to hear about you, things that could actually make you an even more attractive candidate.
How to advocate
The college interview. How do you appropriately advocate yourself without becoming overbearing or appearing pushy? The most common way to do this is the college interview.
Interviews give you the opportunity to highlight your strengths. Be prepared to discuss the following:

• A time when you overcame adversity
• Your proudest moment
• People whom you admire
• New experiences you would like to have
• Why you are passionate about certain subjects and activities
• What you value
• How others see you and how you assist them

Your answers to these questions provide the admissions committee with a more complete picture of who you are, thereby creating an image of you as a real person rather than a compilation of numbers and test scores.

Prepping to promote yourself. Plan ahead! Before you interview, make a list of your strengths, what differentiates you from other applicants, the ways you have grown both academically and socially in high school, and the things about you that make you and others happy. The ways in which you are different from other candidates can work to your advantage; enrolling you as a student might help the school reach its goal of becoming more diverse.
A helpful hint. It’s a good idea to offer some positive comments about the college or university you’re interested in, such as things you like about the campus or how informative the school’s website is. Admissions counselors enjoy talking with students who are well-informed about their institution and are more likely to look upon them favorably. And be sure to follow up on your interview with a thank-you note.
Meetings with directors of special programs. In addition to the admissions interview, meeting with a coach, the choral director, or the theater department chair can be helpful, too. Even though they’re not on the actual admissions staff, these individuals do have some influence in the admissions process. Interest expressed by members of the campus community on behalf of talented students can have a positive effect on an admissions counselor’s evaluation.
Questions as a method for self-advocacy. If you have a question about a school, ask! If the answer to your question is readily available on the website, then querying something obvious is not going to work in your favor. However, if you have a more unusual question (for example, how many environmental science students conduct field work?), then by all means ask. Admissions counselors remember students who ask good questions and demonstrate a desire to understand their institutions. An impressive question such as “How can I contribute to your college?” can be a powerful statement for admissions counselors to use in advocating on your behalf. This is more than just a question. It’s a value statement that tells an admissions counselor that assisting others is important to you.
Open houses. Colleges and universities host open houses throughout the year. The goal of an open house is to expose prospective students to everyday life at a college. You’ll sit in on classes, meet with professors, learn about extracurricular activities, and dine in the cafeteria. Your willingness to participate–to devote a day to learning more about a college or university–emphasizes your level of commitment. Your demonstrated interest in a school might be the factor that tips the scale and results in your receiving an acceptance letter from that campus.

Exceptions to the rule Admissions counselors are well aware of the financial burden of making campus visits, especially for students who live far away. If your home is a long distance from the institution to which you are applying, if your time is limited due to family and work commitments, or if financial concerns are an issue for your family, then rest assured that campus contact will not be weighted as heavily in the admissions process.
But don’t let your lack of proximity or the price tag involved in visiting a college campus deter you from connecting. Regional receptions and campus-visit subsidies do exist. If an on-campus interview with an admissions counselor is not possible, then arranging one with an alumnus who lives near you can achieve the same result.
So as you move through the college application process, be sure that self-advocacy is listed right up there with transcripts, tests, teacher recommendations, and financial aid information. You know what it means now–and even better, you know how to do it.
Self-advocacy? Check!

Article by Kelly Herrington and courtesy of www.careersandcolleges.com