College Admissions Counselors: The Young and the Restless

The “Young and the Restless” is not only the title of one of the longest running daytime television soap operas but is also an apt way to describe college admissions counselors.

This crucial population of professionals is young, averaging around 26 years old. This group is also restless, responsible for recruiting and selecting an impressive group of incoming freshmen. They are also human, so keeping their attention and yielding a positive reaction is imperative for an applicant’s  future.

Admissions counselors have demanding jobs and work long hours. In addition to reviewing waves of college applications from the months of November to April, most travel many months visiting high schools, conducting student interviews, and attending college fairs.

How can a college applicant work this oversaturated situation to his or her advantage? Submit a personal essay that stands out. Convey a sense of yourself and your view of the world that is interesting to the reader. Your ideas do not need to be earth-shattering revelations, in fact, readers connect more with relatable details. In a pile of lackluster applications with forgettable features, your essay can make a lasting impression with meaningful messages.

Before crafting your essay, take some time to be introspective.  Create character sketches of you and others who are close to you.  Remember and write down cinematic moments in your life, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.  Add impact through dialogue and word choice. Direct a movie in your head and play it out on paper.  Your admissions counselors, although young and restless, could be a captive audience.

How can you help make the job of admissions counselors easier? By making their decisions easier. Whether or not to admit you as a student in their freshman class is their decision.  Make it easy for them to decide YES.