To preface, this is the continuation of an article I wrote about a year back, titled ”What Is A College Application “Spike” And Should I Have One?”. It remains to this day on of my most visited articles, likely due to PageRank placing it as a top search result — above that of the college consulting companies’.
Thanks, Google.
It’s no secret that I don’t like the term “Spike,” enough at least to take the time our of my day to write article about a semi-obscure American college application term (read that piece first if you haven’t yet). In my view, it is a horrifically misused term that reflected a culture of petty gamesmanship which complete and utterly missed the point.
Sure, if doing great things is a spike, then having spikes is great — but so often it becomes a way to hyper-focus all activities solely on the field one wishes to study, ignoring “little” extracurriculars for singular gambles into restrictive high-risk/high reward ventures.
Even the name, “Spike,” rather than “Spike(s),” suggests the ideal way for the average candidate to be admitted into a university is to complete one particular, perfect moonshot, which will somehow on completion conduct absolution on one’s past sins and spear them up into Ivy League heaven.
That’s right, a lifetime of abject mediocrity can be salvaged. Finally earn the love of your parents and that elusive green light shining at the end of the dock. Just pay us, a dodgy service with questionable sources and unverified consultants, for our online workshops and opaque 1-on-1s. It’s only $45,000 or some other very reasonable figure, after all — just imagine how much more your child will make as an Ivy League graduate.
The issue with attacking an established belief is that I will be asked to present an alternative. If a “Spike” is an incorrect way to view one’s extracurriculars, then, critics demand, “What do you have instead?”
To be frank, I don’t feel qualified enough to give an answer that works for every single student.
I’m not an admissions officer, just a college undergrad (note: now a college graduate)— attempting to create a ”theory of everything” which sums up the admissions process into a single set of directions is impossible, and attempting to do is like building a Youtube channel calling out scammers and then turning around to sell a $15k course on dropshipping.
Any strategy which works for all necessarily is too broad to be specifically applicable. Certainly, there are plenty of such “universal truths” — talk about yourself, be descriptive, avoid complicated metaphors, look to the future, cultivate an identity, write with maturity — yet those do not represent the step-by-step instructions or “secret tricks” readers wish to see.
If you’re looking for a perfect replacement for the “Spike,” you should close this article now — or just read Applying Sideways again. Otherwise, let’s talk about what works.
To begin, let me tell you about the fundamentals of college applications, starting with how you talk to them.
- Universities look for many different types of people to round out their ideal image for next year’s diverse student body.
- While basic requirements (such as knowing students will not fail our of college) must be met through GPA/tests, everything else is subjective.
- Your goal is to sell yourself as representing an identity inside of that idealized vision — or being so outstanding they create that niche for you.
- To do so, you’ll need to first find what aspects of your character and profile, figure out how it “fits in”, and tell that in a compelling manner.
Everyone has at one point in their lives sold or advocated for something. This ability is crucial in all stages of life, from acing a job interview to getting extra grant money from the dean to chatting up that cute stranger at the coffee shop. Knowing who you are, understanding how your unique set of traits, skills, and life experiences can be presented in a riveting manner that promises to bring joy and value to anyone you engage with — that will make you stand out anywhere.
That’s storytelling.
There’s a reason the most watched America’s Got Talent contestants are the ones with tragic backstories, compelling underdog narratives, and inspiring ambitions. Don’t get it twisted, you still need to knock it out of that park with the Adele cover after, but having an emotional aspect creates the empathy and connection necessary to move an application reader to fight for you in committee.
Here’s some examples:
Mike used his skill in website design, the character traits of creativity and humor, and his interest in poetry to create the annual “Worst Opening Sentence Competition,” a now-viral online tongue-in-cheek contest to create a deliberately bad sentence to begin a novel or work of fiction, which got thousands of submissions! He’s hoping to major in journalism and one day work at a online paper where he can devise interactive games and activities to help balance out the heavy news of the day.
Mariam is an adventurous person. She enjoys rock climbing with her mother and uncle on weekends and hosts fantasy D&D campaigns on her YouTube channel, CrucialRepresentation. Mariam’s confidence and charisma lead her to pursue an active role in environmental conservationism, speaking up at town halls and state assemblies. She is led by a guiding belief that the world we envision in our hearts (and on the D&D board) can be achieved in reality, if only we try hard enough.
Abhinav decided to include a story about his childhood experience with the YouTube channel “Harry Potter Puppet Pals,” humorous parody skits which inspired his current interest in video production and showbiz. Making the topic one of his supplemental essays, its lighthearted tone is a perfect place for Abhi to talk about how it inspired him to work with local indie films as a production engineer, building out sets and editing color and lighting, work he intends to pursue after graduation.
That’s it. No 10-step plans, no complicated modelling or rubric. Sound like a human, tell a compelling narrative, speak of the dreams you have and the discoveries you’ve made about yourself and the world around you. Write with humility and maturity.
There is a reason every top university has a disproportionate amount of “normal” people among the olympiad winners and Nobel recipients — it’s up to you to find that reason out and emulate it, if you can.
Questions
Why should I trust you?
A. You shouldn’t. In fact, you should trust everyone less. By definition your peers are as inexperienced as you, your parents graduated back when the admissions rate to Stanford was 30+%, the blog links directly to a $15k consulting package purchase link, and online forums are one-half embittered students blaming minorities for their not getting into Yale and the other half high school freshman role-playing as admissions gurus copy-pasting the last thing they read two minutes ago.
Who should I listen to then?
A. Actual admissions counselors are a good start. MIT and Yale I believe have blogs, podcasts, and interviews available for free online. Avoid any attempting to sell you a product. Sales books are fine, but much of their discussion on fostering client relationships and optimizing sales cycles aren’t relevant. Books on storytelling may be very effective, though you can learn a lot from the most-watched online lectures and Ted Talks on YouTube. For standing out and crafting a personal identity, try entrepreneurship resources (also helpful for creating a lean bio + pitch).
Can you advise me or read my essays?
A. I’m honored, but I have enough anxiety already and don’t need the money. There’s far better resources available online on writing, thinking, storytelling, selling, and being a more well-rounded and mature person. Though I would not advise to have LLMs write any part of your essay for you, when prompted correctly they can be invaluable tools for brainstorming and rewording awkward wording. Do try to not lose your voice though.
For further reading: To Be Admitted To Any Ivy League, First Stop Being Infatuated With It
Originally published on Medium
Part one also was initially published on Medium